Hamas agrees to Egypt-Qatar ceasefire offer, Israel remains unresponsive
OAN’s Brooke Mallory
10:45 AM – Monday, May 6, 2024
Hamas announced in a statement on Monday that it had agreed to Egypt and Qatar’s request for a ceasefire proposal in Gaza. In a statement, the terrorist group announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had notified Egypt’s intelligence head and the prime minister of Qatar that their plan had been accepted.
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Hours after Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate portions of the region, U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly attempted to exert pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so that he would postpone his planned military action in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Biden reaffirmed his “clear position on Rafah,” according to the White House, which is that Israel should not move forward with an invasion plan until it demonstrates how to safeguard hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians there.
The Israeli evacuation order was issued when Cairo negotiations relating to how to achieve a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages broke down. Israel had offered a truce that would have lasted several weeks, while Hamas insisted on an immediate stop to the conflict.
Seven months after Hamas massacred 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7th and kidnapped at least 252 hostages, the evacuation order raised worries of a full-scale assault against Hamas holdouts in Rafah, which could end up killing other innocent civilians nearby.
“President Biden updated the prime minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar. The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need,” the White House announced.
“The Kerem Shalom crossing is located in southern Gaza near Rafah,” according to Israelhayom.com
The proposal’s details were not immediately released.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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