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Hamas accepted the ceasefire proposal, but Israel said it did not meet the requirements

May 07, 2024

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 7: On the evening of May 6, Hamas announced its acceptance of ceasefire proposals and the release of hostages from Egypt and Qatar, but Israel said the terms did not meet basic requirements.
On the evening of May 6, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke to mediators from Egypt and Qatar that Hamas would accept the ceasefire proposal, CNN reported.
After receiving feedback from Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that this proposal "did not meet Israel's basic requirements" and was not in accordance with what Israel had agreed to. But Israel said it would still send a negotiating delegation on May 7, according to Times of Israel . Hamas leaders affirmed that they would not give in to the terms they had agreed to.
According to Reuters, details of the agreement that Hamas agreed to include three phases. The first is a 42-day ceasefire, with Hamas returning 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian hostages in Israeli prisons, as well as Israel's partial withdrawal from Gaza.
The next stage is an additional 42 days of ceasefire, with an agreement to restore "prolonged stability" in Gaza, a term that officials involved in the negotiations said both Hamas and Israel agreed to, in order to replace discussion " permanent ceasefire", which neither side made concessions. At this stage, the Israeli army will completely withdraw from Gaza, and the two sides will continue to exchange hostages.
Finally, end the blockade in the Gaza Strip, complete exchanges and implement a reconstruction plan supervised by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.
Before the reaction from Israel, Palestinians celebrated after Hamas's decision. In the city of Tel Aviv (Israel), families of hostages and supporters called on Israeli leaders to accept the proposal.
Also on the evening of May 7, the Israeli war cabinet agreed to continue the operation in Rafah, to "put military pressure on Hamas, with the goal of achieving progress in releasing hostages and other military goals." The US is concerned about Israel's latest attacks on the city of Rafah, but does not consider this a "major military operation".
In response to the latest developments in Gaza, leaders of many countries and international organizations have called on all sides to accept a ceasefire. CNN quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying: "We call for the immediate implementation of a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, support Palestine becoming an official member of the United Nations, support restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, restarting the two-state solution and achieving lasting peace in the Middle East."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also welcomed Hamas' decision to accept the deal and urged Israel to do the same. This is also what Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, or United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper