Reuters: Efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in Gaza are gaining momentum

Efforts to secure a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and a prisoner exchange have intensified after Hamas announced its response to the cease-fire proposal.

According to Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he has sent a delegation headed by the head of the Mossad to Qatar to resume negotiations. Biden has welcomed this move and an unnamed source in the Israeli negotiating team claims that this time there is a real chance to reach an agreement. 

A Hamas official close to the negotiators says that if the movement’s latest proposal is accepted, it could lead to a new framework. This Hamas official also said that he rejected the presence of foreign troops in Gaza, and this shows the movement’s opposition to any plan to send an international group to the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian People’s Resistance Committees have also announced that they will consider any foreign force in Gaza as an occupying force. 

Meanwhile, the Turkish media, quoting the President of the country, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed hope that the final ceasefire will be established in the next few days. Erdogan asked the Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept this agreement. 

However, some far-right ministers of Netanyahu’s cabinet have claimed that they may leave Kabanieh if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. The departure of these ministers will end Netanyahu’s prime ministership. In this regard, Channel 7 of the Zionist regime reported that “Itamar Ben Guer” accused the security and military officials in the meeting on Thursday that they decided to resume negotiations without consulting him. 

Hamas’ new response to the ceasefire plan, which was announced by Biden in late May, has been presented. This plan includes the release of 120 Zionist prisoners who are kept in Gaza. In addition, the above-mentioned agreement includes the withdrawal of the occupiers from Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Translator: Zahra Najafi