A ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States on Thursday is “still under consideration” by Hamas but it will only “lead to more killing and famine in Gaza”, according to an official of the Palestine group, as reported by Al Jazeera. The US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has asserted that Israel has agreed to the proposal but the Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim told the Reuters news agency that the deal “does not meet any of our people’s demands, foremost among them, halting the war”.
According to Naim, the leadership is actively considering the proposal with full responsibility.
What is the proposal?
Along with the 60-day ceasefire, the proposal includes the release of 28 Israeli hostages alive and dead in the first week and the release of 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life, as reported by Reuters. The deal also entails the transfer of the remains of 180 dead Palestinians. It states that Hamas will relieve the remaining 30 hostages once a permanent ceasefire deal is established.
In addition, Israel has demanded the dismantling of Hamas as a military and governing force.
According to Reuters, Hamas has rejected the clause of dismantling itself and asked Israel to pull its troops out of Gaza showcasing its commitment to end the war.
The Israeli government has not released any statement on the matter yet.
All previous attempts to instate a ceasefire have been unable to reach a conclusion due to the differences between both entities. The previous ceasefire broke down in March after being in place for two months.
Famine looming in Gaza
The United Nations has claimed that a famine is looming in Gaza due to the aid blockade enacted by Israel, Despite the entry of some aid into the area, the UN has termed it to “a drop in the ocean,” citing a severe humanitarian crisis in the region.
