On the one hand Hamas accepts the truce proposal, on the other the Israeli army assures that Operation Rafah is far from over. Despite recent developments, Israel is preparing “for the possibility of a ground operation in Rafah”, following the evacuation of civilians for which the travel arrangements announced this morning still apply. “We consider every response very seriously and exhaust all possibilities regarding negotiations and the return of the hostages to their homes as quickly as possible, which is a central task. At the same time – he continued – we continue and will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip”, guaranteed military spokesperson Daniel Hagari, referring to Hamas' announcement on the acceptance of the agreement proposed by the mediators The mediators will remain in Cairo to explore avenues for a diplomatic resolution, while the military operation aimed at putting pressure on Hamas continues to progress. It is precisely at these times that the army. air force from Tel Aviv hit at least 50 targets in Rafah, according to Palestinian sources cited by the Israeli newspaper. Ynet they warn against the entry of armed forces into eastern Rafah, where the evacuation order was given this morning. The same media also reported, citing anonymous sources, that contrary to what was reported by the Jewish state's leaders, Hamas accepted the April 27 agreement “without any particular changes, even though they deny it in Israel.”
Signing of the agreement by Hamas
The first to announce the acceptance of the ceasefire was Al Jazeera claiming that Hamas leaders had accepted the deal. The deal, negotiated by Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo, is expected to include a temporary halt to military operations in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh confirmed his yes on Telegram, saying he had informed Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel “of the movement's approval of their proposal ceasefire agreement.” Haniyeh spoke directly on the phone with the two leaders, the statement said. A Hamas official told Al Jazeera that “the ball is in Israel's court”, and so far no response has been received from the Israeli government. In recent days, Israel had stressed that it was not on the same wavelength as Hamas and had suggested that it would invade Rafah, south of Gaza. And while Palestinians spontaneously celebrate in the streets of Gaza, everything now depends on Israel's response.
Israeli official: unacceptable proposal
An unnamed Israeli official, cited by the Reuters news agency, said Hamas had approved a “softened” Egyptian proposal that is not acceptable to Israel. The official added that the proposal includes “far-reaching” conclusions that Israel will not support.
Details of the agreement between Israel and Hamas
The news of Hamas' announcement delighted the population of Rafah. Details of the proposal are not yet known. But in recent days, Egyptian officials have discussed a series of phases in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. It is unclear whether the agreement will satisfy the IDF's demand for a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
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