The militant group’s delegation is reportedly reviewing an Israeli proposal, but says they are against a clause calling for their disarmament.
Hamas is sending a delegation to Qatar to continue indirect ceasefire talks with Israel over the war between the two, saying they are reviewing a proposal for the release of ten hostages in exchange for a 45-day truce.
The talks in Doha are meant to take place later this week or next, the official said.
The proposed ceasefire deal would allow for the entry of food and shelter into Gaza, on which Israel has imposed a blockade for over one month. However, the Hamas official said a major sticking point remained over whether the war would end as part of any new deal.
The war started on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during the attack on southern Israel and took 251 people captive. Some have since been freed in ceasefire agreements and other deals. Fifty-nine remain in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be still alive.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in January that lasted eight weeks before Israel resumed the war last month. The initial ceasefire agreement was meant to bring the sides toward negotiating an end to the war. Israel, however, wants to defeat Hamas first.
A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the proposal they received from Egypt includes a clause calling for their disarmament, something they firmly rejected. He reportedly added that disarmament “is not just a red line. It is a million red lines.”
The official further emphasised that Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to be central to the deal. Officials from Israel and Qatar had no immediate comment.
Since the ceasefire fell apart last month, Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza and forces have also seized swaths of the coastal enclave in a bid to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal more aligned with Israel’s terms.
On Monday, the United Nations aid office warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now likely to be “the worst” since Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the militant group’s 7 October attack.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: “No fuel has come in, no food has come in, no medicine has come in.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it has released 10 more Palestinians detained in Gaza last year.
They were released at a border crossing and brought to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, after having been detained in northern Gaza during an Israeli offensive there, according to the hospital.
This comes after another 10 Palestinians were returned to the Strip on Thursday, saying they suffered constant abuse while imprisoned, allegations Israel rejects.
Source: euronews
