Hamas Agrees To Egyptian-Brokered Ceasefire; Israel Demands The Return Of Israelis Held By Hamas

Hamas agrees to Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal with Israel

Hamas leadership on Friday agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal with Israel on the condition that restrictions on the Gaza Strip’s border crossings be eased, Hadashot news reported. 

Now they were waiting for an Israeli response after the cabinet meets Sunday.

In the wake of Hamas’s approval, the TV news station said that a “very senior” Israeli official travelled to Qatar for talks on how to implement the long-term ceasefire deal.

According to Hadashot, the first phase of the plan would see the Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened on a permanent basis, and eased restrictions on the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel.

The second phase of deal, according to Hadashot, would see an agreement between Hamas and Fatah that would see the Palestinian Authority take control of the Gaza Strip under the auspices of Egypt. In return, the PA will resume paying its employees in Gaza whose salaries it has withheld. The second phase also outlines a roadmap for elections to be held in Gaza within six months.

A  third phase would implement long-proposed humanitarian projects like the establishment of a port in the Sinai in Egypt that would serve Gaza, the report said.

The last phase, Hadashot reported, was the 5-10 year ceasefire agreement with Israel, that would include negotiations for the return of the Israeli citizens and remains of IDF soldiers held by in Gaza.

However, An Israeli official told Channel 10 on Friday that Israel would not be willing to accept any long-term deal with Hamas that did not include the return of the held Israelis. He said the deal stipulated that the negotiations for their return must begin immediately.

As soon of the reported proposal broke Friday, the families of Israeli fallen soldiers and civilians held in Gaza appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli political leaders, urging them to include the release of Israelis in any deal.

“Any deal that doesn’t include the return of Oron [Shaul], Hadar [Goldin], [Avera] Mengistu and the rest of our citizens won’t be worth the paper it’s written on, or whatever verbal promises were made for it,” read a letter to Netanyahu from the Shaul family