GAZA, (PIC)
The Hamas Movement said the last Israeli ceasefire proposal it received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators did not meet any of the demands already submitted by the Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip.
However, the Movement said on Tuesday that it would study the proposal, which it described as “intransigent,” and deliver its response to mediators at the Cairo talks, reiterating its keenness on reaching a deal ending the Israeli aggression against its people.
According to media sources, the three-part proposal would halt fighting for six weeks to facilitate an exchange of captives held by the resistance for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and detention centers.
The proposal calls for a deal that allows the return of unarmed displaced civilians to northern Gaza, without specifying their numbers. It also includes the Israeli occupation army’s withdrawal from al-Rashid and Salahuddin streets and the relocation of its troops to a nearby area, which is only 500 meters away from the streets.
At the first stage of the deal, if accepted, 500 aid trucks will be allowed into all areas of the Gaza Strip, while Israel will release 900 prisoners, including 100 serving life sentences in exchange for 40 Israeli detainees.
The deal’s second stage is said to include the release of all Israeli captives as a prelude to finalizing talks for a permanent ceasefire agreement.
However, the proposal did not include the number of the Palestinian prisoners that should be released at the second stage or any reference to the Israel army’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
At the third stage, the resistance is demanded to release the bodies of Israeli prisoners killed during the war in Gaza, according to the proposal.
In this regard, a senior Hamas official accused the Israelis of persisting in putting obstacles in the way of reaching a ceasefire agreement over Gaza.
The Hamas official explained that the Israeli response in the Cairo negotiations called for the return of displaced civilians to shelter camps set up by international organizations and not to their areas and homes.
Such return of displaced citizens, according to the Israeli response, is unsafe and takes place through Israeli-controlled checkpoints, while Hamas insists on their return to their areas without any restrictions, the official added.
He also highlighted that the new proposal does not include a permanent ceasefire or the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
