FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Palestinian group Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has responded to a proposal for a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages. The response of the Palestinian radical group has been published in a Lebanese media.
The document, whose authenticity has been confirmed by officials, provides the clearest picture yet of the radical group's demands in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages it is holding in Gaza.
The response to the plan drawn up by the United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt envisages a three-phase agreement, to be implemented over a period of four and a half months, leading to the end of the war and the release of all hostages.
The Hamas proposal would effectively leave the radical group in power in Gaza and allow it to rebuild its military capabilities, a scenario Israel adamantly rejects.
In the first phase of 45 days, Hamas would release the remaining women and children, as well as elderly and sick men, in exchange for the release of all women, children, sick and elderly prisoners held by Israel . Israel would also release 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, including 500 people Hamas specifically wants released, who are likely to be high-profile fighters of the radical group who are serving life sentences in Israeli jails .
Israel would withdraw its forces from population centers, halt air operations and allow more humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza and reconstruction to begin. Also, the proposal envisages that displaced persons be allowed to return to their homes, including in northern Gaza, and that all crossings be opened.
In the second phase, which would be negotiated as the first phase unfolded, Hamas would release the remaining hostages, mostly soldiers and civilian men, in exchange for the release of more hostages, and Israel would complete the withdrawal from Gaza. Both sides would exchange slain hostages and slain prisoners during the third phase, which would pave the way for a long-term ceasefire.
A Hamas official and two Egyptian officials confirmed the authenticity of the document published by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, the Associated Press reports.
This Lebanese newspaper is close to the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, which is an ally of Hamas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, met with Israeli leaders to update them on developments on a ceasefire deal after Hamas unveiled its detailed plan on the matter.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared that the war will continue until the "complete victory" over Hamas and the return of all remaining hostages.
Blinken, who is making his fifth visit to the region since the war began on October 7, is trying to advance the achievement of a ceasefire in Gaza and the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, in exchange for "a clear and reliable towards the establishment of a Palestinian state".
Netanyahu strongly opposes Palestinian statehood.
The war between Israel and Hamas - which is the deadliest conflict between the two sides in history - began after Hamas launched an attack on October 7 in southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 others.
Israel responded with a ground, air and sea offensive in the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians. According to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-led Gaza, more than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. This ministry does not distinguish between civilians and killed fighters, but said that most of the victims were women and children./ REL
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