Israel Proposes New Ceasefire In Gaza Strip

Israeli troops in the south of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday 19 March. (Source: IDF)

JAKARTA - Egyptian and Qatar mediators have submitted Israel's new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza to Hamas, according to Cairo-affiliated Al Qahera News TV on Monday, but a senior Hamas official said at least two elements of the proposal were unacceptable.

Citing a source, Al Qahera said the mediators were waiting for Hamas' response, quoted from Reuters on April 15.

Later, Hamas said in a statement they were studying the proposal and would deliver its response "as soon as possible".

The militant group reiterated its main demands that a ceasefire agreement must end the war in Gaza and reach Israel's full withdrawal from the line.

Earlier, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the proposal did not meet the demands of the Palestinian group that Israel commits to completely stopping hostilities.

In the proposal, Israel also for the first time called for Hamas weapons to be fired in the next stage of negotiations, which the group would not approve of, Abu Zuhri said.

"Strengthening the resistance weapon is a million red lines and is not subject to consideration, let alone discussion," said Abu Zuhri.

Israel did not immediately comment on the reported proposal.

Meanwhile, the head of information services of the State of Egypt told Al Qahera: "Hamas knows very well the value of the time now and I am confident that its response to Israel's proposal will be fast."

Israel is known to restart its attacks on the Palestinian enclave in March, ending a ceasefire that took effect in late January.

The final round of negotiations on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and release Israeli hostages ended without a clear breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.

Hamas insisted Israel was committed to ending the war and withdrawing its troops from the Gaza Strip as agreed in the three-stage ceasefire agreement that came into effect at the end of January.

Israel itself says it will not end the war unless Hamas is removed and returns the hostages who are still being held in Gaza.

"Hamas is ready to hand over the hostages as well as a reward for ending the Israeli war and military withdrawal" from Gaza, Abu Zuhri said.

Of the 251 hostages taken in the attack on Israel's south on October 7, 2023, about 59 Israeli hostages are still in the hands of the militants, 24 of whom are believed to be still alive.