Hamas will not respond or engage with Israel’s counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, an official told Reuters yesterday, affirming it is committed to the mediators’ plan instead.
Israel said on 29 March that it conveyed to the mediators a counter-proposal in full coordination with the US, after Hamas agreed to a proposal it received from mediators Egypt and Qatar.
A copy obtained by Reuters yesterday showed the mediators’ proposal was part of the 17 January ceasefire agreement – which Israel violated over 900 times and ultimately made void by returning to bombing Gaza – and would extend the ceasefire for 50 more days.
The negotiations for a second ceasefire phase should be over before the 50-day period ends, as per the copy.
The proposal included the release of New Jersey native Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army, on the first day after the ceasefire is announced.
Hamas would also release four Israeli captives, with one captive released every ten days in exchange for releasing 250 Palestinians held in Israeli jails and releasing 2,000 of those who were detained after 7 October 2023.
The proposal also entailed the cessation of Israeli military operations, opening the crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and re-opening the Netzarim Corridor to allow the entry of cars from the south to the north and vice versa.
The Israeli occupation military said on 19 March that its forces re-extended their control to the centre of the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the Gaza Strip.
Israel has killed more than 50,400 Palestinians during its military assault on Gaza, during which it has also decimated the enclave and left it in ruins. The occupation state is charged with genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
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