Chicago – July 05, 2024
Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza picked up pace on Friday after Hamas proposed new terms for a deal, and Israel announced that negotiations would continue into next week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the head of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Doha, Qatar. Netanyahu confirmed that talks would resume next week. An anonymous source in Israel’s negotiating team mentioned that there is now a real chance of reaching an agreement.
These comments are a stark contrast to previous instances during the nine-month war in Gaza when Israel found Hamas’s conditions unacceptable.
A Palestinian official involved in the peace efforts said the new proposal from Hamas could lead to a framework agreement if Israel accepts it. The official noted that Hamas is no longer demanding an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire before signing a contract. Instead, they are willing to allow negotiations for a permanent truce over a six-week initial phase.
