An Israeli army mobile howitzer dug in near the border with the Gaza Strip outside Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel, on Oct. 22, 2023. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg)
Hamas is studying a proposal for a temporary cease-fire with Israel in a “positive spirit,” as international pressure mounts on the two sides to reach a deal and end a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
The Iran-backed militant group plans to send a delegation to Egypt “as soon as possible” to continue negotiations, according to comments by senior leader, Ismail Haniyeh, posted on Telegram on Thursday.
Haniyeh was speaking to Abbas Kamal, head of Egypt’s general intelligence directorate. The Hamas leader also discussed the situation with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the two agreed to continue talks with the aim of reaching an agreement.
Hamas is a designated terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union.
Israel said it will only consider joining cease-fire talks if Hamas responds to the latest internationally mediated proposal for a temporary truce and release of hostages taken by the group’s militants during their Oct. 7 invasion. The conflict has been raging in Gaza for the almost seven months since, and much of the enclave has been reduced to rubble.
About 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack, with about 250 more taken hostage. More than 34,000 Palestinians have died in the subsequent Israeli onslaught, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to quickly reach a decision on terms for a pause in hostilities, describing the offer as “extraordinarily generous.”
The U.S. is seeking the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, alongside a pause that could pave the way to an end to the war.
Haniyeh stressed “the positive spirit” in which Hamas is approaching the latest proposal, and aims to reach an agreement “in a way that achieves the demands of our people and stops the aggression against them.”
Hamas has previously called for Israeli forces to withdraw entirely from Gaza. Israel has refused to go that far, and is instead preparing to invade the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge.
