The rejection of the proposal presented by the three countries that are mediating the negotiations – the United States, Egypt and Qatar – shows that the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinouar, “does not want a humanitarian agreement, nor the return of the hostages”, declared Mossad, Israel’s secret services, in a statement released by the prime minister’s office.
Sinouar “continues to explore tensions with Iran”, with the aim of “obtaining an escalation in the region”, reads the statement, published a few hours after an unprecedented attack by Terão, which fired drones and missiles at direction of Israel, without causing significant damage.
Israel “will continue to work to achieve the objectives of the war against Hamas with all its strength and will do everything it can to bring back the hostages from Gaza,” the same source added.
Hamas said on Saturday it had presented its response to mediators on the proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a permanent ceasefire.
“Hamas reaffirms its demands and the demands of our people: a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupying army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of displaced people to their areas and places of residence, the intensification of the arrival of aid humanitarian aid and the launch of reconstruction”, the Palestinian movement said in a statement, without explicitly rejecting the proposal.
Emissaries from Israel and Hamas met on April 7 in Cairo, with representatives from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, for another attempt at indirect negotiations with a view to finding a truce agreement in the Gaza Strip, after six months of war.
Until now, the protagonists had not clearly responded to the proposed agreement, which provided for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian detainees, accompanied by an increase in humanitarian aid.
Israel opposes a permanent ceasefire and the total withdrawal of armed forces from the Gaza Strip and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, in the extreme south of the Palestinian territory, which presents as the last major bastion of Hamas.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of being “the only obstacle” to an agreement that could “allow the release of the hostages”, citing in particular as the main point of disagreement “the end of the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip” demanded by Hamas. Islamic movement.
“The Government and security forces are united in their opposition to these unfounded demands,” the Israeli prime minister said in a statement.
On October 7 last year, fighters from Hamas — in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel — carried out an attack on Israeli territory of unprecedented proportions since its creation. of the State of Israel in 1948, causing 1,163 deaths, according to the most recent report by Israeli authorities.
In retaliation, Israel declared a war to “eradicate Hamas”, which began with cuts in the supply of food, water, electricity and fuel in the Gaza Strip and daily bombings, followed by a ground offensive in the north of the territory, which later extended South.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which continues to threaten to spread throughout the entire Middle East region, has so far left more than 33,200 people dead in the Gaza Strip, almost 76,000 injured and around 7,000 missing, presumably buried in the rubble, most of them civilians. according to the most recent report from local authorities.