Israel makes new Gaza ceasefire proposal but prospects appear slim

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By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Yomna Ehab, Jaidaa Taha

CAIRO (Reuters) -Mediators Egypt and Qatar have presented a new Israeli proposal for a Gaza ceasefire to Hamas, Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Monday, but a senior Hamas official said at least two elements of the proposal were nonstarters. 

Citing sources, Al Qahera said mediators awaited Hamas’ response. 

Hamas said in a statement later in the day that it was studying the proposal and that it will submit its response “as soon as possible”.

The militant group reiterated its core demand that a ceasefire deal must end the war in Gaza and achieve a full Israeli pull-out from the strip.

Earlier, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the proposal did not meet the Palestinian group’s demand that Israel commit to a complete halt of hostilities.

In the proposal, Israel also for the first time called for the disarmament of Hamas in the next phase of negotiations, which the group will not agree to, Abu Zuhri said.

“Handing over the resistance’s weapons is a million red lines and is not subject to consideration, let alone discussion”, Abu Zuhri said. 

Israel did not immediately comment on the reported proposal.

The head of the Egyptian state information service told Al Qahera: “Hamas knows very well the value of time now and I believe that its response to the Israeli proposal will be quick.”

Israel restarted its offensive in the enclave in March, ending a ceasefire that went into effect in late January.  

The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.

Hamas insists Israel commit to ending the war and pull out its forces from the Gaza Strip as agreed in the three-phase ceasefire accord that went into effect in late January.

Israel has said it will not end the war unless Hamas is eliminated and returns the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

“Hamas is ready to hand over the hostages in one batch in exchange for the end of war and the withdrawal of Israeli military” from Gaza, Abu Zuhri said.

Since restarting its military offensive last month, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,500 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities have said. It has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and imposed a blockade on all supplies entering the enclave.

Meanwhile, 59 Israeli hostages remain in the hands of the militants. Israel believes 24 of them are alive.

(Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi, Yomna Ehab and Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Rosalba O’Brien and Matthew Lewis)