Hamas, Islamic Jihad submit ceasefire response to mediators
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have expressed “readiness to positively” reach a deal to end the war in Gaza in a joint statement.
They added that they submitted their response to the proposed Gaza ceasefire deal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators. “Our response prioritises the Palestinian people and the complete end of the ongoing onslaught on Gaza,” the two groups said.
Egypt, Qatar state they received Hamas’s response to ceasefire deal
Egypt and Qatar confirmed that they have received a response from Hamas about the ceasefire deal, according to a post on Facebook by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The two sides confirm that their joint mediation efforts with the United States of America will continue until an agreement is reached, as the mediators will study the response and coordinate with the parties concerned regarding the next steps,” their statement on Facebook also read.
Important that both Hamas, Islamic Jihad on board for ceasefire
It is certainly good news for the potential of a real ceasefire. At least, Hamas is engaging, despite the fact that they are dealing with Israel, which has not really come out in the open and adopted or embraced the US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution.
Also, they are dealing with the United States … which has been aiding and abating genocide while at the same time trying to broker a ceasefire.
So you can’t blame Hamas for not trusting the Biden administration to broker a ceasefire. It is important the Palestine Islamic Jihad is on board as well, because this means that the two main fighting groups in Gaza are both now engaged with the various parties in order to move the process forward.
The need for clarifications about the full withdrawal from Gaza, including the Gaza crossings, is essential for Hamas. Otherwise, you could expect Israel to be imposing a siege any day by simply closing those crossings or by redeploying its troops.
So I think these guarantees are essential, and I think the United States, as a sponsor of this proposal, is going to have to give them.
US received and is evaluating Hamas response to ceasefire deal, says White House
The US has received Hamas’s formal reply to a UN-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal sent to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, White House spokesperson John Kirby says.
Kirby told reporters that it was helpful to have a response from Hamas and that US officials are currently evaluating it.
Earlier today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the UN Security Council’s vote in favour of the Gaza ceasefire plan made it “as clear as it possibly could be” that the world supports the proposal.
Hamas demand for full withdrawal from Gaza is not new: Former Israeli negotiator
Daniel Levy says that “this demand for a full withdrawal is not new. It is in the paper, it is in the proposal, it is even in the UN resolution. This is part of any deal.”
“The question being posed is what kind of commitment that you as a mediator – namely the US – are you making to your own plan in all its phases. Because what has prevented a breakthrough is whether this is an actual ceasefire or is this a temporary pause followed by more deaths, horror and destruction,” he told Al Jazeera.
Levy said that Israel’s answer has been unequivocal: the war would continue – even as the US said otherwise. “That is the question that not just Hamas and Islamic Jihad are asking, but the whole world is asking.”
Hamas’s response to ceasefire proposal opens ‘wide pathway’: Official
Hamas’s response to a proposed Gaza ceasefire deal “opens up a wide pathway” to reach an agreement, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the group’s political bureau, has said in a statement, the Reuters news agency reports.
The movement’s response is “responsible, serious and positive”, al-Rishq added.
