A Palestinian refugee camp in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
AFP news agency on April 27 reported that Hamas forces said they had received and were studying Israel’s response regarding the possibility of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the return of hostages.
Accordingly, Hamas received an official response from Israel that was delivered to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13. “The (Hamas) movement is studying this proposal and will then give a response,” according to Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya.
On April 13, Hamas insisted on a long-term ceasefire as the top condition in the agreement, even though Israel objected. Israeli and Egyptian media reported that a delegation from mediator Egypt arrived in Israel on April 26 in an effort to resume stalled ceasefire negotiations.
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Egypt, along with Qatari and US mediators, reached a one-week ceasefire in November that saw 80 Israeli hostages in Gaza released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in prisons. of Israel.
Several Israeli media agencies quoted unnamed officials as saying that Israel’s war cabinet discussed a new plan on ceasefire and hostage release, ahead of the Egyptian delegation’s visit.
Al-Qahera News said there had been “notable progress in bringing the views of the Egyptian and Israeli delegations closer together”.
Meanwhile, there is information that Israel is willing to make additional concessions to reach an agreement, but will not let Hamas prolong the negotiation process to prevent the attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Talks between Israeli officials and a high-level Egyptian delegation sent to discuss the impending Israeli offensive in Rafah and efforts to reach a hostage agreement with Hamas have ended. on April 26.
According to the sheet The Times of Israel Quoting an Israeli official, this is the last chance to reach a ceasefire agreement, before Israel attacks Rafah as previously expected.
