Israeli and Hamas officials have downplayed hopes expressed by Joe Biden that a ceasefire in the war in Gaza is imminent, raising questions about whether a temporary truce can be implemented before the holy month of Ramadan begins in two weeks’ time.
Speaking over WhatsApp on Tuesday, Basem Naim, the head of Hamas’s political division in Gaza, said the group had not yet formally received a new proposal for a ceasefire since last week’s indirect talks in Paris mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.
Ahmad Abdel-Hadi, a Hamas representative in Beirut, also told the press that significant progress on a deal had not been made, in spite of President Biden’s remarks late on Monday that a temporary truce could be implemented as soon as 4th March.
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Reuters also reports that Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say President Biden’s comments came as a surprise and were not made in coordination with the country’s leadership. They added that Hamas was continuing to push what they called excessive demands.
The latest proposal under review reportedly includes a 40-day pause in all military operations, as well as the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.
Under the terms, hospitals and bakeries in Gaza would be repaired, 500 aid trucks would enter into the besieged territory each day, and thousands of tents and caravans would be delivered to shelter displaced people. Civilians, other than men of military age, would gradually be allowed to return to northern Gaza.
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