UPDATE - Hamas says it still accepts Egyptian-Qatari proposal for Gaza cease-fire

UPDATES WITH REPORT FROM EGYTPIAN MEDIA, REVISES DECK

By Mohammed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine Palestinian resistance group Hamas said on Thursday that it still accepts a Gaza cease-fire proposal drawn by Egypt and Qatar.

Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel resumed in Egypt on Thursday to reach a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap between the two sides.

“Our delegation left Cairo for Doha a while ago, and we confirm our commitment and adherence to our position on accepting the proposal drawn by mediators,” senior Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq said.

He said an Israeli attack on Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip “aims to sabotage efforts by mediators and escalate the aggression.”

The Egyptian Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya channel citing an unnamed source reported that both Israeli and Hamas delegations left Cairo, without mentioning a new date for further talks.

The source further said that Egypt and other mediators’ efforts are ongoing to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas.

Israel said the truce offer accepted by Hamas did not meet its key demands and decided to push ahead with an operation in Rafah in order to apply what it said "military pressure on Hamas with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims.”

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas which killed about 1,200 people. More than 34,900 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,500 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala and Mohammad Sio