Hamas Proposes Three-Phase Truce With Israel, Netanyahu Rejects Proposal
Hamas proposed a three-phase plan in response to a proposal sent last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators and backed by the United States and Israel.
The plan would include a four-and-a-half-month ceasefire during which hostages would be set free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and a long-lasting agreement would be reached to end the war.
Israel’s Channel 13 TV quoted an unidentified official as saying some aspects were not acceptable and officials were debating whether to reject the proposal or seek modifications.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that an Israeli official told the newsroom that there was “no way” Israel would accept Hamas’ counterproposal.
This is the plan: during the first 45-day phase, all Israeli women hostages, males under 19, the elderly, and the sick would be released in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in jails in Israel.
Israel would withdraw troops from Gaza’s populated areas.
Once indirect talks over the requirements needed to end the mutual military operations and return to complete calm are concluded, the second phase can commence.
This phase would include the release of remaining male hostages and full Israeli withdrawal from all of Gaza.
The remains of the dead would be exchanged during the third phase.
The truce would also increase humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians who are facing extreme hunger and shortages of basic supplies.
This counterproposal was a response to the plan presented to Hamas last week. This framework reportedly calls for a first phase of civilian hostage releases to take place over a six-week pause, with three Palestinian prisoners held by Israel released for each civilian hostage returned from Gaza. That ratio would be expected to go up for Israel Defense Forces soldiers and a longer pause is possible beyond the six weeks for the later phases.
However, Prime Minister Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel will persist in the conflict until achieving “total victory” over Hamas, in remarks that seem to cast doubt on the likelihood of a reaching a potential truce deal with Hamas.
What do you think of Netanyahu’s rejection?
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