Hamas and Israel negotiating cease-fire agreement in Gaza
Hamas pushing for conditions in previous negotiations
Israel preparing to invade Rafah, possibility of famine in Gaza
Israel seeking guarantees for full withdrawal and end to war
Three-stage process includes immediate six-week cease-fire and partial hostage release, negotiations over 'permanent calm'
UN report estimates it would take until 2040 to rebuild homes destroyed
In the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, there have been recent developments indicating progress towards a cease-fire agreement. Hamas has announced that it will be sending a delegation to Egypt for further negotiations, following international mediators' efforts to hammer out an agreement between the two parties.
The stakes are high as the war in Gaza has resulted in extensive damage, with a U.N. report estimating that it would take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment and ground offensives.
Israel is seeking guarantees for a full withdrawal and an end to the war, while Hamas has been pushing for these conditions in previous negotiations as well. The latest proposal from U.S. and Egyptian mediators sets out a three-stage process that would bring about an immediate six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages, but also negotiations over a 'permanent calm' that includes some sort of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
However, the situation remains uncertain as Israel has announced its preparation to invade Rafah, where half the civilians in Gaza are sheltering. Additionally, there is a possibility of a famine in Gaza if more aid is not brought in.
Despite these challenges, both sides appear to be making progress towards reaching an agreement. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has stated that the group will send representatives to Cairo to continue negotiations in a positive spirit.
Hamas is sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.
Hamas is seeking guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and complete end to the war.
The stakes in the cease-fire negotiations were made clear by a new U.N. report which said if the Israel-Hamas war stops today, it will still take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes that have been destroyed by nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza.
The proposal that U.S. and Egyptian mediators have put to Hamas, apparently with Israel’s acceptance, sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages, but also negotiations over a ‘permanent calm’ that includes some sort of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Accuracy
If Israel does agree to end the war in return for a full hostage release, it would be a major turnaround. Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israel has vowed not to stop its bombardment and ground offensives until the militant group is destroyed.
Publicly at least, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that is the only acceptable endgame. He has vowed that even if a cease-fire is reached, Israel will eventually attack Rafah, which he says is Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza.
