GAZA July 06. 2024 (Saba) - The US Associated Press revealed on Saturday that the Islamic resistance movement Hamas has tentatively agreed to a proposal for a phased ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of prisoners with the enemy, after receiving "verbal pledges and guarantees" from mediators that the war will not resume.
The agency quoted a Hamas official as saying on Saturday that the movement still wants "written guarantees" from the mediators that the enemy will continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire agreement once the first phase comes into force, while the head of the Zionist government, Benjamin Netanyahu, insists on not ending the war until Israel achieves its goals of destroying Hamas ' military capabilities and its ability to govern, and the return of all Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.
The agency quoted an Egyptian official and another from Hamas that the movement abandoned a key requirement that it obtain a prior commitment from Israel to a complete end to the war, which was confirmed by a "senior official" in the movement who spoke to Reuters, and said that Hamas abandoned the requirement that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and will allow this to be achieved through negotiations during the first phase, which lasts six weeks.
The Associated Press reported that "the settlement offered by Hamas may help achieve the first cessation of hostilities since last November, paving the way for further talks on ending the devastating nine-month-old war," while warning all parties that "reaching an agreement is still not guaranteed".
The two officials who spoke to the US agency said that the Washington interim agreement will first include a "comprehensive and complete" cessation of hostilities for six weeks, which will see the release of a number of detainees, including women, the elderly and the injured, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The officials added that during this period, Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas in Gaza and allow the return of displaced people to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip.
The two officials also stated that during this period, Hamas will negotiate with Israel and mediators on the terms of the second phase, which may see the release of the remaining male detainees, both civilians and soldiers.
In return, Israel will release additional Palestinian prisoners, and the third phase will see the return of any remaining prisoners and the bodies of prisoners, and the start of a reconstruction project that is estimated to take years.
The two officials said Hamas still wanted" written guarantees " from the mediators that Israel would continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire agreement once the first phase came into force.
The representative of the movement stressed to The Associated Press that the approval came after Hamas received" verbal pledges and guarantees "from the mediators that the war will not resume, and that negotiations will continue until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached. "Now, we want written guarantees,"he added.
Hamas has previously expressed fears that Israel may resume the war after the release of detainees in the first phase. Israeli officials expressed concern that Hamas would prolong the talks and the initial ceasefire indefinitely, without releasing all prisoners.
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resource : Saba
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