Israel Calls Hamas Rejecting Important Elements Of Planned Gaza Armistice US Proposal

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israel considers the response of the Hamas militant group to the proposed ceasefire of the conflict in Gaza filed by the United States to be the same as the refusal, while a Hamas official said the Palestinian group was only reaffirming old demands that were not met by current plans.

Egypt and Qatar said they had received Hamas responses to a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31 but did not disclose its contents.

Hamas officials, who declined to be named, told Reuters the response reiterated its stance that a ceasefire should lead to a permanent end of hostilities in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the rebuilding of Palestinian enclaves and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

"We reiterated our previous stance. I believe there is no big gap. The ball is now in the Israeli courtyard," he said.

The United States said Israel accepted its proposal, but Israel has not said it publicly. Israel, which continues to launch attacks on central and southern Gaza, one of the bloodiest in the war, has repeatedly said it will not commit to ending its campaign in Gaza before Hamas is removed.

An Israeli official said on Tuesday the country had received Hamas' answer from mediators, saying the militant group had "changed all key and most meaningful parameters."

Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamas "had rejected the proposed release of hostages proposed by President Biden."

Earlier a non-Israeli official briefed on the matter, who declined to be named, said Hamas proposed a new schedule for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.

Earlier, the UN Security Council on Monday supported a US resolution in favor of a proposal outlined by President Biden. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Tuesday that before the mediators received the group's response, Hamas received a Security Council resolution and was ready to negotiate on the details of the ceasefire.

On the same day, Hamas and its allies Palestinian Islamic Jihad declared "preparedness to positively reach an agreement to end the war in Gaza in a joint statement on Tuesday, which some interpreted as acceptance of Biden's proposal.

It is known that the US plan broadly regulates the ceasefire and the gradual release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, which ultimately leads to a permanent end to the war.

This will be a three-phase plan that begins with an initial six-week ceasefire with Israel's military withdrawal from a population of Gaza and the temporary release of several "permanent end to hostilities" hostage negotiated through mediators.

More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people held hostage by Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli tallies. More than 100 hostages are believed to be still being held in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities on Tuesday confirmed 40 people were killed and 120 others injured as a result of Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours. That left the death toll of Palestinians since the conflict in Gaza broke out last year now 37,164 people and 84,832 people injured, with the majority of victims being women and children.