Israel to send delegation to Doha to convey Cabinet decision on Hamas cease-fire, hostage swap proposal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office makes announcement after Cabinet discussed Hamas' proposal, which was presented to Qatari and Egyptian mediators on Thursday

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – Following the Israeli Cabinet's deliberation on Hamas' cease-fire proposal, Tel Aviv on Friday announced to send a delegation to Doha, Qatar's capital, to speak with officials as the kingdom is serving as intermediaries.

An Israeli delegation will travel to Doha, said a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Friday after the Cabinet discussed Hamas' cease-fire proposal.

Late on Thursday, the Palestinian group Hamas presented Qatari and Egyptian mediators with its comprehensive vision for a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal with Israel.

In a statement, Hamas said its stance involves a cease-fire in Gaza, the delivery of aid, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and the Israeli army’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

It added that it also included a prisoner swap deal with Israel.

Shortly after Hamas' announcement, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Qatar handed the group’s response to Israel.

Israeli Army Radio quoted an Israeli official as saying that Hamas' response is under review.

Israel believes 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza after the Israeli army managed on Feb. 12 to free two Israelis held in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel launched its war on Gaza after an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by Hamas. It has since killed more than 31,300 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while most of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul

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