Hamas and Islamic Jihad proposed certain amendments in response to the American offer to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, reports Al Jazeera.
Citing unnamed sources, the Qatari media said that the proposed amendments by Hamas include the withdrawal of Israel from the entire Gaza Strip, including the Rafah border crossing and the so-called Philadelphia Corridor, which is a total of 14 kilometers long between the Gaza border and Egypt.
According to the report, the Palestinian response was sent to the Qatari and Egyptian negotiators by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziad al-Nakhaleh.
Reuters quoted an official familiar with the talks as saying that Hamas’ response included a new timeline for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Earlier in a joint statement, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad expressed their “willingness to positively” reach a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, in their first official response since US President Joe Biden presented what he said was Israel’s latest offer of truce and liberation of hostages.
“The response prioritizes the interests of our Palestinian people and the necessity of a complete halt to the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
They add that they have submitted their response to the proposed cease-fire agreement in Gaza to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, which Doha and Cairo confirm without giving details.
Hamas’ response comes after the UN Security Council yesterday adopted a US-proposed resolution calling on Hamas to accept Israel’s latest proposal, Klix.ba reports.
