Hamas Approves Gaza Ceasefire Proposal, Israel Submits Counteroffer

A top Hamas official said on Saturday that the group had approved a new Gaza ceasefire proposal put forth by mediators and urged Israel to support it while warning that the group’s weapons were a “red line.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed it had also received a proposal from the mediators and had submitted a counter-proposal in response.

“Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediating brothers in Egypt and Qatar. We dealt with it positively and approved it. We hope that the occupation (Israel) will not obstruct it,” Khalil al-Haya said in a televised address for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. “The weapons of the resistance are a red line,” he added.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that a proposal had been received and that the prime minister had held consultations regarding it. “A few hours ago, Israel conveyed to the mediators a counter-proposal in full coordination with the US,” the statement said, without elaborating.

A day earlier, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said that talks between the Palestinian Islamist movement and mediators over a ceasefire deal were gaining momentum as Israel continued its operations in Gaza. Palestinian sources close to Hamas told AFP that discussions began Thursday evening between the group and mediators from Egypt and Qatar to revive a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

The fragile truce that had brought weeks of relative calm to the Gaza Strip ended on March 18 when Israel resumed its bombing campaign across the territory. The renewed violence has intensified international efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire.

The talks in Doha started a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while Hamas warned that the captives would return “in coffins” if Israel did not halt its bombing of Palestinian territory.