After US Secretary of State Blinken pressured Hamas to accept Israel’s proposed ceasefire agreement, Hamas has stated that it is actively considering the suggestion of reaching a temporary truce with Israel.
The international community has been exerting pressure on both sides to reach an agreement and put an end to the conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
Earlier this week, Blinken urged Hamas to swiftly accept Israel’s proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and the release of detained Israeli hostages. Blinken described Israel’s ceasefire proposal as “very generous” and called on Hamas to accept it.
Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh announced on Thursday (May 2) via the messaging app Telegram that the organization plans to send a delegation to Egypt to continue negotiations as soon as possible.
Haniyeh stated that he is in communication with Abbas Kamel, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate.
Hamas leaders also discussed the situation with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and both parties agreed to continue talks to reach an agreement.
The talks between Hamas and Egypt and Qatar are in response to Israel’s phased ceasefire proposal made last weekend.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and many other countries and regions.
Israel has indicated that it will only consider entering ceasefire negotiations if Hamas responds to the latest international mediation proposal. This new proposal calls for a temporary ceasefire while Hamas releases the hostages taken during a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 last year. The Gaza conflict has been ongoing for nearly seven months since then, leaving much of the enclave in ruins.
According to Reuters, a source familiar with the negotiations revealed that Israel’s proposal includes an agreement to release fewer than 40 of the approximately 130 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing incarcerated Palestinian prisoners.
The second stage of the ceasefire will involve a “sustained calm period”, a concession by Israel in response to Hamas’ demand for a permanent ceasefire.
A senior US State Department official disclosed to Reuters that Blinken is expected to hold broader meetings with counterparts from five Arab countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan to discuss governance issues in the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war comes to an end.