Hamas has approved a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt, the Palestinian group says, although Israel has yet to comment on the proposal.
In a statement, Hamas said, “Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas movement, conducted a telephone call with officials in Qatar and Egypt and informed them of the movement’s approval of their proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement.”
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera Arabic that the Qatari-Egyptian proposal includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, as well as an exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
The proposal includes a three-stage truce, each phase lasting 42 days.
In the first phase, indirect negotiations through mediators will resume on the exchange of captives and prisoners.
A withdrawal of some Israeli troops from certain areas will also take place, as well as the unhindered return of displaced families to their homes, and the flow of aid, fuel and relief materials into Gaza, he said.
In the second phase, al-Hayya said, there would be a complete and permanent halt to military activity in Gaza. The final phase would focus on reconstruction in post-war Gaza, overseen by Egypt, Qatar, and United Nations agencies, he said.
(Al Jazeera) page 5
