In ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt, Israel has agreed to concessions as to the return of Palestinians to the north of the enclave but believes Islamist group Hamas does not want to strike a deal, Israeli officials said on Wednesday.
According to two officials with knowledge of the negotiations, Israel would permit the return of 150,000 Palestinians to north Gaza without any security checks as part of a truce proposal from the United States.
They said that in exchange, Hamas would have to provide a list of the female, old, and sick hostages it still had.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment. Hamas said on Tuesday that the latest proposal passed on by Egyptian and Qatari mediators did not meet demands, but that it would study it further before responding.
Israel assesses that Hamas does not want to strike a deal yet, the two Israeli officials said.
In the seventh month of the war, Hamas wants an end to the Israeli military offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and permission for displaced Palestinians to return home.
More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli offensive began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the enclave laid to waste.
Israel pulled back most ground forces from southern Gaza this week after months of fighting but still says it plans to launch an assault on Rafah, on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, where more than half of Gazans are now sheltering.
Netanyahu has said civilians will be evacuated from Rafah before Israeli forces pursue Hamas’ remaining battalions there, but that pledge has done little to calm international alarm.
They said that in exchange, Hamas would have to provide a list of the female, old, and sick hostages it still had.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment. Hamas said on Tuesday that the latest proposal passed on by Egyptian and Qatari mediators did not meet demands, but that it would study it further before responding.
Israel assesses that Hamas does not want to strike a deal yet, the two Israeli officials said.
In the seventh month of the war, Hamas wants an end to the Israeli military offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and permission for displaced Palestinians to return home.
More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli offensive began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the enclave laid to waste.
Israel pulled back most ground forces from southern Gaza this week after months of fighting but still says it plans to launch an assault on Rafah, on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, where more than half of Gazans are now sheltering.
Netanyahu has said civilians will be evacuated from Rafah before Israeli forces pursue Hamas’ remaining battalions there, but that pledge has done little to calm international alarm.
Source: PAP, Reuters
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