Hamas studying ceasefire proposal labelled 'final' by Trump

CNA

2 days ago

CAIRO: Hamas said on Wednesday (Jul 2) it was studying what United States President Donald Trump called a "final" ceasefire proposal for Gaza, but that Israel must pull out of the enclave, while Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would be eliminated.
Trump had said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas after what he described as a "long and productive" meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials.
In a statement, Hamas said it was studying new ceasefire offers it received from mediators Egypt and Qatar, but stressed it aimed to reach an agreement that would ensure an end to the war and an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the elimination of Hamas in his first public remarks since Trump's announcement.
"There will not be a Hamas. There will not be a Hamastan. We're not going back to that. It's over," Netanyahu told a meeting hosted by the Trans-Israel pipeline.
The statements from the two sides reiterated long-held positions, giving no clues as to whether or how a compromise agreement could be reached. Trump's announcement had raised some hope among Gazans for at least a temporary relief from war.
"I hope it would work this time, even if for two months, it would save thousands of innocent lives," Kamal, a resident of Gaza City, said by phone.
Others questioned whether Trump's statements would deliver long-term peace, saying it was not the first time he had said a peace deal was close.
"We hope he is serious like he was serious during the Israeli-Iranian war when he said the war should stop, and it stopped," said Adnan Al Assar, a resident of Khan Younis in Gaza's south.
There is growing public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-long war, a move strongly opposed by hardline members of his right-wing ruling coalition.
At the same time, US and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and a recently agreed ceasefire in last month's 12-day conflict have put pressure on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.
Israeli leaders also believe that, with Iran weakened, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said a majority within the coalition government would back an agreement that would see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza.
"If there is an opportunity to do so - we must not miss it!", he wrote on X. Of 50 hostages still held, around 20 are believed to be still alive.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid posted that his party could provide a safety net if hardline members of the Cabinet opposed a deal, effectively pledging not to back a no-confidence motion in parliament that could topple the government.
COMPLETE END?
For Gazans, who have fled multiple times and face daily struggles to find food 21 months into Israel's military campaign, there was a glimmer of hope, but many worried that any ceasefire would only be temporary.
"We want a complete end to the war on Gaza, not like every time - a partial agreement and ceasefire that lasts a month or two, then the war returns," said Samir Al Masri in Khan Younis.
At the end of May, Hamas had said it was seeking amendments to a US-backed ceasefire proposal, which Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said was "totally unacceptable".
That proposal had involved a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians; Hamas would release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that guarantees the end of the war.
"Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump posted on Tuesday, without specifying the conditions.
A source close to the group said leaders of the militant faction were expected to debate the proposal and seek clarifications from mediators before giving an official response.
Gaza health authorities said Israeli gunfire and military strikes killed at least 139 Palestinians in separate attacks in north and southern areas in the past 24 hours, and the Israeli military ordered more evacuations late on Tuesday.
In response to questions from Reuters about the reports, the Israeli military stated that its operations aimed to dismantle Hamas' military capabilities and mitigate civilian harm, without commenting on specific incidents.
Among those killed on Wednesday was Marwan Al Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, in an airstrike that has also killed his wife and five children, medics say. The military had no immediate comment.
The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza in a surprise attack that led to Israel's single deadliest day.
Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the whole 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.