Hamas says holding consultations on Gaza truce proposal
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 October 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 United States 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 Friday.
Hours earlier, Netanyahu vowed to bring home all the hostages held by militants 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 on Thursday 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.
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 United States.
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 two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants.
Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
On Friday, 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 Yunis.
Mughayyir said eight more people were killed in two other strikes on tent encampments on the coast of Khan Yunis, including one that killed two children early Friday.
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 October 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. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
UN: 509 killed near US-backed Gaza aid distribution points
GENEVA: More than 500 people have been killed in the vicinity of the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's sites since late May, the United Nations said Friday. An officially private effort, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than two months, sparking famine warnings. GHF operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations in the Palestinian territory, where the Israeli military is seeking to destroy Hamas. Overall, "we have recorded 613 killings" near GHF distribution points and near humanitarian convoys since the GHF began operations, until noon on June 27, UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters. "Of the 613 figure that I mentioned, 509 people killed were killed near the GHF distribution." The others were killed "near UN and non-UN convoys", she said. Shamdasani said the figures were evolving as the UN human rights office receives "further reports of killings since then that we are working to corroborate." Shamdasani said the task was being made more difficult by lack of access to the Gaza Strip. "It is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points," she added. "How many killings? Who is responsible for that? We need an investigation. We need access. We need an independent inquiry, and we need accountability for these killings." The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives and violates basic humanitarian principles. Based in Delaware in the United States, GHF said Thursday it had handed out more than a million boxes of foodstuffs in Gaza. GHF's chairman is Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to US President Donald Trump. "We have not had a single violent incident in our distribution sites. We haven't had a violent incident in close proximity to our distribution sites," he told journalists in Brussels on Wednesday. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organisation's representative in the Palestinian territories, spoke about the deaths, saying: "The senseless killing in Gaza must stop." Peeperkorn visited the territory's Nasser Medical Complex this week, saying there were "patients everywhere: on the floor, in the corridors", he said. "It's mainly boys, young adolescents, young men, and we all know that they go to these so-called safe, non-UN food distribution sites," he added. "There are so many of these cases shot in the head, shot in the neck, shot in the chest."--AFP
Malaysia Sun
19 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
Hamas gives
Gaza [Palestine], July 5 (ANI): Hamas announced that it had 'submitted a positive response' to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel in Gaza, indicating progress toward a potential agreement after months of stalled efforts, CNN reported In a statement on Friday, Hamas said it had responded positively to the mediators and expressed readiness to begin talks on the implementation of the framework. Hamas has 'submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework,' the group said. Israel had earlier accepted the US-backed proposal, clearing the way for both sides to begin final negotiations to work out details before a ceasefire is finalized, CNN reported. As reported by CNN, Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American interlocutor who has been in direct contact with Hamas, welcomed the response in a Facebook post, stating, 'We are now much closer to ending this cursed war.' He added that Hamas had introduced 'amendments it deemed necessary.' 'In my view, these amendments will not prevent reaching a ceasefire agreement within the coming week, God willing,' he said. An Israeli source familiar with the developments said earlier on Friday that a positive response from Hamas was anticipated, and that the changes made to the proposal language were not expected to disrupt the progress toward a deal, CNN reported. Under the terms of the proposal, of the 50 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, 10 -- including 8 living hostages on the first day -- would be released during the ceasefire, along with the bodies of 18 others. In exchange, an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees would be freed. Following the initial release, Israel would withdraw from parts of northern Gaza, and the two sides would begin talks on a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has been directed to release the hostages without any public displays or ceremonies. Additional hostages would be released on four other dates outlined in the proposal, CNN reported. Earlier, US President Donald Trump cautioned Hamas against rejecting the ceasefire deal, warning that 'it will not get better -- it will only get worse,' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. According to Al Jazeera, at least 57,130 Palestinians have been killed and more than 130,000 injured since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel that left approximately 1,139 people dead. In Gaza, hundreds of thousands have been displaced multiple times, with widespread destruction of cities, hospitals, and schools. The UN estimates that 85 per cent of Gaza is now under Israeli military control. (ANI)
Malaysia Sun
19 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
Macron reveals topics he discussed with Putin
The French leader said he raised concerns over Iran, and saw no progress on Ukraine French President Emmanuel Macron said his first phone conversation in nearly three years with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin focused mostly on nuclear non-proliferation, following a series of Israeli and US strikes against Iran. Macron told journalists that the call centered on Iran's nuclear program and the need to preserve the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), according to avideobroadcast by BFMTV on Friday. "I called him first on the Iranian issue and the necessity of maintaining the non-proliferation treaty," Macron explained. "It was very important to reach an agreement, because France also bears responsibility for ensuring stability." The French president described the conversation as "important for France," noting that both nations, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, share obligations under the NPT. Following a series of Israeli and US bombings of its nuclear and other strategic sites, Tehran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing it of failing to condemn the attacks on facilities under its supervision. Iran also claimed the UN agency colluded with its adversaries, alleging it had passed the identities of nuclear scientists to Israel, several of whom were later assassinated. According to the Kremlin's readout of the July 1 call, both Putin and Macron emphasized the need to respect Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy while fulfilling its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. Moscow and Paris also agreed to continue diplomatic engagement to avoid further escalation in the Middle East. Macron also said he could not report any "progress" on Ukraine in his discussion with Putin, echoing sentiments expressed by US President Donald Trump following his own call with the Russian leader on Thursday. READ MORE: No progress made in Putin call Trump "We shared our disagreements," Macron said, insisting that "there needs to be a ceasefire first, followed by the resumption of negotiations." He added that Western sanctions, including those already imposed by the EU and new ones proposed by the US Congress, were essential to applying pressure. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin reiterated Russia's view that the Ukraine conflict stems from years of Western disregard for its security concerns. The Russian president maintained that any settlement must be "comprehensive and long-term," address the "root causes" of the crisis, and take into account what Moscow describes as the "new territorial realities." Russia and Ukraine resumed Türkiye-hosted talks earlier this year after nearly three years without direct diplomatic contact, following Kiev's withdrawal of its demand for an unconditional ceasefire as a precondition for negotiations. Macron's outreach comes amid a shift in his stance on the conflict. While previously advocating the deployment of French and other NATO troops to Ukraine, the French president has more recently proposed that the EU begin considering a broader dialogue on regional security that includes Russia as part of a potential peace framework. (
