Hamas officials have announced their acceptance of a proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza. This is everything that we know about it. 

The proposed agreement involves a suspension of military operations for 60 days.  During this period, half of the approximately 20 remaining living Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Egypt took a central role as a key mediator in this negotiation. 

This development comes after intense negotiations in Cairo involving Egyptian and Qatari officials. 

The acceptance by Hamas comes as pressure mounts on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced the largest protests of the war on Sunday. 

More than 400,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv to demand a deal for hostage release. Protesters have also called for fresh demonstrations this Sunday.

Netanyahu has criticised these large-scale street protests, claiming they “give comfort to Hamas’s position in negotiations” and toughen their stance. He has further claimed that ending the war without defeating Hamas would lead to a recurrence of what he called “October 7 atrocities”.

Despite the proposed deal, Netanyahu has previously indicated that Israel is no longer interested in “part deals” and would only agree to end the war if Hamas releases all hostages at once, disarms, and allows for the demilitarisation of Gaza.

In addition to protests, the Israeli Prime Minister has faced fierce criticism from domestic political figures and hostage families.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum lambasted Netanyahu, stating: “They have been languishing in Gaza for 22 months, on your watch”.

Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli opposition Democrats party, accused Netanyahu of strengthening Hamas and needing “an eternal war in order to cling to his seat and to escape a commission of inquiry” into the October 7 attack.

It’s also worth noting that the Israeli government is planning a large new military offensive to take control of Gaza City. This move could displace up to 1 million Palestinians.

A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office outlined five “principles” for ending the war, which this takeover is presumably intended to support. This is what the takeover plan entails.

• The disarmament of Hamas
• The return of all hostages, both living and dead.
• The demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip.
• The establishment of an alternative civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.

The human cost of the war in Gaza remains severe, with Gaza health officials reporting that the war’s death toll has reached 62,000 people. Due to the blockade, Palestinians are also starving and not getting much-needed aid. 

IOL NEWS

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