Hamas approves ceasefire proposal in Gaza Strip
Hamas says it accepts Qatar and Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but Israel says it does not meet demands.
"Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas, spoke by phone with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel to announce that Hamas had accepted their ceasefire proposal," Hamas said in a statement on May 6
Hamas political official Khalil al-Hayya said the Qatari and Egyptian proposal included a clause requiring Israel to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip, allow Palestinians to return home as well as allow an exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners. Al-Hayya added that the proposal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days.
in the first phase, Israel and Hamas will continue negotiations on prisoner exchanges through mediators, while Israeli troops must withdraw from some areas, while Palestinian families are allowed to return home. At this stage, Israel must also not obstruct the introduction of fuel and aid into the Gaza Strip.
The second phase would require Israel to completely and permanently halt its operation in the Gaza Strip. The final phase will focus on reconstruction in the strip, overseen by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
Following Hamas' statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Qatar-Egypt's ceasefire proposal "does not meet Israel's demands" and that it would send a delegation to meet negotiators.
"Although Hamas' proposal is far from what is required, Israel has sent a delegation to work with mediators towards the possibility of reaching an agreement with conditions acceptable to Israel," Netanyahu's office said in a statement
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he was reviewing Hamas' statement and discussing the issue with regional partners.
Many Palestinians took to the streets to celebrate after Hamas' announcement. In Tel Aviv, the hostages' families and others also called on Israeli authorities to accept the deal.
The conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted in October 2023 after Israel launched its operation in response to an attack that killed at least 1,139 people by Hamas. Gaza's health authority said the conflict had left at least 34,735 people dead and more than 78,000 injured.
Ukraine situation: China backs international peace conference, US accidentally reveals that the conflict will not end this year
The US says Ukraine intends to retake areas controlled by Russian forces and will launch a counteroffensive by 2025. (Source: Sky news) Reuters quoted Ambassador Zhang Hanhui in an interview with Russian news agency RIA, published on May 7, as saying: "China supports the timely convening of an international peace conference, adopted by Russia and Ukraine, with the equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peaceful options."
Ukraine 'acupuncture point' of Russia's economy, unexpected destructive power that energy giants cannot underestimate Affirming his readiness to continue playing an active role to help resolve the crisis, the diplomat stressed: "To prevent the conflict from escalating and spiraling out of control, all parties must work together to restore peace as quickly as possible."
Ambassador Zhang Han-hui's statement comes as Switzerland will host a peace conference on Ukraine, scheduled for June 15-16, without inviting Russia to attend.
Moscow has said it will not take part in any peace conference without taking into account Russia's interests, saying the conference hosted by Switzerland to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's so-called peace formula makes no sense.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, on the same day, according to the Financial Times (FT), US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Kyiv will launch a new counteroffensive in 2025, after receiving $61 billion in military aid from Washington. Sullivan predicted that Russia will continue to make progress on the battlefield in the near term, as it will take some time for U.S. aid to reach Ukraine.
Referring to the scenario of hostilities in 2025, according to the senior White House official, the Ukrainian military intends to "retake areas controlled by Russian forces." Sullivan's assessment of Ukraine's planned counteroffensive in 2025 reveals the administration's commitment in the event of President Joe Biden's reelection in November.
