Hamas has proposed a counter offer to the US-Hamas truce deal and laid out its demands, including hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners and re-development of Gaza Strip.
Hamas’s response is a counteroffer to a ceasefire agreement backed by Israel and the United States and mediated by Qatar and Egypt – details of which have not been made public.
Hamas wants a full-scale withdrawal of Israeli armed forces and an end to the war after three 45-day truce phases. It seems like the offer is likely to be rejected by Israeli PM Netanyahu, who is determined for a “total victory” in Gaza.
What Hamas is offering?
First phase: a pause in war for 45 days, along with hostage exchange of all Israeli women, males under 19, elderly and sick in with Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza and the repair and redevelopment of hospitals and refugee camps.
Second phase: exchange of remaining Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners followed by Israel leaving Gaza completely.
Third phase: exchange of dead bodies and remains from both the sides.
It is also been said that this deal would also see increase in aid deliveries to Gaza, By the end of the 135 days period.
How US responded?
US President Joe Biden said that the deal is “a little over the top”. There is still a lot of work to do in order to reach a permanent ceasefire says, Anthony Blinken US secretary of state.
The truce of November 2023.
About 100 hostages were freed in a swap with 240 Palestinian prisoners in a one-week truce in November last year. Around 1300 people were killed during the Hamas attack on 7 october,2023.
More than 27,700 Palestinians were killed and al least 65,000 were injured by the Israeli counter offence, Hamas health ministry said.
Talks in Israel
During an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, a senior government representative said that some of the demands made by Hamas could not be met, there are talks over whether to reject it or request a new one.
Some of the Israeli military officials acknowledges that PM Netanyahu’s goal of “total victory” is still a long way off and some believe that it is not even possible militarily.
US being the indirect broker of these deals thinks that negotiations are the “best way forward” and is perusing its Arab allies create pressure.
Mr. Blinken said that it is an “incredibly powerful path” which will pave the way to the redevelopment of Gaza, a reformed authority for Palestine leading to a Palestinian state, also stabilizing its relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel.
On the other hand, Israeli military forces are still focused on eradicating Hamas from the Gaza Strip and Mr Netanyahu is under a lot of pressure from its allies who warned the right-wing leader of withdrawing their support if he makes any concessions on his efforts against Hamas.
Families of hostages in Israel are getting more anxious by the day about the fate of their dear ones, following of a discloser that a large fraction of the total hostages remaining in Gaza are dead.
America and its allies in West-Asia are worried about the growing risk of further and wider regional conflagration, as clocks are licking loudly, many international organizations have issued warnings of further deepening severe humanitarian crises unfolding in Gaza.
The Israel-Hamas war has been extended along the Red Sea with Iran backed Houthi rebels in Yemen getting into a war like situation with US and UK, it is to be seen that for how long the conditions in middle-east would remain tensed.
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