7 months ago
19
Ismail Haniyeh
, the head of Hamas's political wing, said on Monday that the group had agreed to a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, but it was unclear what terms it had accepted. A senior Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas had not agreed to the terms of the latest
Israeli proposal
. Haniyeh's statement was posted on Hamas's official Telegram channel.
It came on the same day Israel ordered people in one part of the city of Rafah to evacuate before a promised offensive there.
The Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a "softened" version of an Egyptian proposal, which included "far-reaching" conclusions that Israel could not accept. "This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal," said the official.
Haniyeh said he had told the Qatari PM and the chief of Egypt's intelligence services that Hamas had accepted "their proposal." There was no immediate comment from mediators Qatar or Egypt. A US official said Washington was still waiting to learn more details.
Hamas negotiators had left Cairo Sunday after talks hit an impasse. The main stumbling block has been the length of the ceasefire. Hamas has demanded a permanent ceasefire, while Israel wants a temporary halt that would allow for the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
