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Confusion over Ceasefire deal
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/heres-everything-know-about-gaza-deal-hamas-agreed
Palestinian group Hamas says it has agreed to an Egyptian-Qatari proposal, but Israel says it falls short of demands.
What has the reaction been from Israel?
Israel had on Monday told Palestinians in eastern Rafah to leave as it prepared to launch a military campaign in the southern Gaza area, despite international opposition. This seemed to indicate the Israelis did not think a deal was on the cards.
But now, as Hamas’s deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya put it, the ball is in Israel’s court. The Israelis have responded warily. Initial reports in the Israeli media pushed the message that the deal Hamas had agreed to was not what Israel had been discussing.
Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir immediately took to social media to reject the deal and call for the invasion of Rafah.
An Israeli official speaking to the Reuters news agency added that Hamas’s announcement appeared “to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal”.
Eventually, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal fell short of Israel’s demands but that he would send a delegation to Cairo to meet negotiators.
He added that Israel’s war cabinet had agreed unanimously to “continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas”, and on Monday night, intense Israeli air attacks took place in southern Gaza.
Family members of captives held in Gaza protested in Tel Aviv, calling for the government to accept a deal.
Has the US commented on the ceasefire deal?
US officials at the White House and the State Department were repeatedly asked by journalists during news briefings about Hamas’s acceptance of the deal.
But Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, and John Kirby, the White House National Security spokesperson, refused to get into any details, with Miller saying Washington would “withhold judgement” until officials had time to fully review Hamas’s response.
Miller declined to say whether Hamas had agreed to a US-approved offer or to a different version of the proposal.
“As you know, [CIA] Director [William] Burns is in the region working on this in real-time. We will be discussing this response with our partners over the coming hours,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Kirby said that President Joe Biden had been briefed on Hamas’s response, adding that talks were at a “critical stage” and he did not want to say anything that would jeopardise the prospects of reaching an agreement.
How have Palestinians in Gaza reacted?
Palestinians across Gaza immediately took to the streets to celebrate. For the enclave’s population, a deal would spell the end of what has been a devastating war, in which the whole of Gaza has been decimated and death has not spared most families.
However, some of that joy has been tempered by the reality this deal has only been agreed to on one side. So while many remain optimistic, Palestinians know this is not the end of the war – particularly as Israel continues to rain down bombs.
Optimism on the streets of Rafah, as Palestinians celebrate the news that Hamas has agreed to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal
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