Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza following a proposal from Egypt and Qatar, raising hopes for a pause in the Israel-Palestina conflict with mediation from the
Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza following a proposal from Egypt and Qatar, raising hopes for a pause in the Israel-Palestina conflict with mediation from the United States.
The announcement comes after Israel ordered the evacuation of around 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah in southern Gaza in preparation for a military offensive that has drawn widespread international criticism.
According to Hamas, Ismail Haniya, head of its political bureau, communicated the decision directly to the prime minister of Qatar and Egypt’s intelligence minister.
The move has been welcomed with cautious optimism in Palestinian territories and by international observers, although Israel has not yet confirmed whether it will formally accept the proposal and continues military operations in southern Gaza.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire offer from Egypt and Qatar “falls short of the government’s demands,” but it has agreed to enter negotiations and will send a delegation to the mediating countries.
Much of the international community has expressed strong opposition to the planned Israeli offensive in Rafah, where more than a million displaced people from other war-torn areas of Gaza are currently residing.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warned that the offensive could have devastating consequences for these civilians.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both Israel and Hamas to make “additional efforts” to reach an agreement. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called Israel’s evacuation order “inhumane.”
In this context, U.S. President Joe Biden voiced concerns to Netanyahu over a potential invasion of southern Gaza during a phone call. “We cannot support an operation in Rafah as currently planned,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The European Union and the United Kingdom also criticized the offensive, warning it could worsen hunger and escalate conflict in the region.
Regionally, Egypt has called on Israel for “restraint,” while Jordan and Saudi Arabia condemned the recent attacks in Rafah. Hamas’s acceptance of the ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, could open a critical window to slow the escalation of the Israel-Palestina conflict, though the path to a lasting truce remains uncertain.
