Hamas consulting other Palestinian groups on Gaza truce proposal
GAZA CITY : Hamas said today it was holding consultations with other Palestinian movements on a truce proposal in the war with Israel, in a possible sign that it was preparing for negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement came ahead of a visit on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war.
The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by militants.
Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US have seen a temporary halt in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
'The movement is conducting consultations with leaders of Palestinian forces and factions regarding the proposal received… from the mediators,' Hamas said in a statement early today.
Hours earlier, Netanyahu vowed to bring home all the hostages held by rebels in Gaza, after coming under massive domestic pressure including from the hostages' loved ones over their fate.
'I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,' Netanyahu told inhabitants of the Nir Oz kibbutz, the community that saw the most hostages seized in the 2023 Hamas attack.
Trump yesterday said he wanted 'safety' for people in Gaza, as he prepared to host his ally.
'I want to see safety for the people of Gaza. They've gone through hell,' he said.
60-day truce proposal
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week that there were no fundamental changes in the new proposal under discussion compared to previous terms presented by the US.
The source said the new proposal 'includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'.
Earlier this week, Israel's top diplomat Gideon Saar said any chance to free the hostages 'must not be missed', after Trump urged Hamas to agree to a 60-day ceasefire that he said had Israel's backing.
Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than 2 million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas fighters.
Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian gunmen during the Oct 7 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Today, Gaza's civil defence agency said that overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 15 people.
Civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir told AFP that seven people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli air strike on displaced people's tents near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
Mughayyir said eight more people were killed in two other strikes on tent encampments on the coast of Khan Younis, including one that killed two children early today.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific attacks without precise coordinates, but noted it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities'.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Oct 7, 2023 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,130 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
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