JERUSALEM: Hamas said it was studying on Saturday (Apr 27) the latest Israeli counterproposal regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, a day after a delegation from mediator Egypt reportedly arrived in Israel in a bid to jumpstart stalled negotiations.
The signs of fresh truce talks came alongside at least three Israeli air strikes during the night in Rafah, southernmost Gaza, according to an AFP correspondent.
Rafah is crowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly seven months of war between Israel and Hamas. Strikes in Rafah and elsewhere killed more than a dozen people overnight, hospital officials said.
“Today, the Hamas movement received the official Zionist occupation response to the movement’s position, which was delivered to the Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Apr 13,” Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of Hamas’ political arm in Gaza, said in a brief statement early Saturday.
“The movement will study this proposal, and upon completion of its study, it will submit its response.”
Hamas had previously insisted on a permanent ceasefire, something rejected by Israel.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been unsuccessfully trying to seal a new truce deal in Gaza ever since a one-week halt to the fighting in November saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
A delegation from Egypt arrived in Israel on Friday hoping to revive the truce negotiations, Israeli and Egyptian media reported.
There has been “noticeable progress in bringing the views of the Egyptian and Israeli delegations closer”, said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence services.
In early April, Hamas had said it was studying a proposal after talks in Cairo, and Al-Qahera reported progress. Days later Israel and Hamas accused each other of undermining negotiations.
