As Hamas rejects new Israeli demands, US floats revised Gaza ceasefire proposal to bridge gaps

As the talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip concluded in Doha on Friday, the Hamas said it has rejected the “new conditions” in the proposal.

However, the rejection referred to the new demands inserted by Israel at the behest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks and not the latest bridging proposal presented by the mediators the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

Following the conclusion of the talks , the mediators on Friday said they have presented a revised ceasefire proposal to bridge the gaps between the positions of Israel and Hamas. They said they expect a deal to be reached based on the revised bridging proposal by the end of the next week.

Has Hamas rejected Gaza ceasefire proposal?

Hamas on Friday said that it has rejected “new conditions” in the Gaza ceasefire plan, according to AFP.

The news agency reported that Hamas had rejected the new conditions inserted by Israel in recent weeks in the ceasefire proposal .

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An informed source told AFP that the conditions Hamas objected to include keeping Israeli soldiers in the Philadelphi Corridor (the strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border), veto rights on Palestinians prisoners to be swapped with hostages, and the ability to depart some prisoners instead of repatriating them to Gaza.

These conditions have been reported before and have been an irritant in the talks.

As Hamas and Egypt reportedly rejected these conditions, the mediators came up with a revised proposal on Friday and said it bridged the gaps that remained .

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In the joint statement, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt termed the talks “serious and constructive”. They said they have presented to both the parties a revised bridging proposal in line with the one originally announced by US President Joe Biden in May .

“Earlier today in Doha, the United States with support from Egypt and Qatar, presented to both parties a bridging proposal that is consistent with the principles laid out by President Biden on May 31, 2024 and Security Council Resolution No. 2735. This proposal builds on areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal,” said the statement.

The mediators said they expect to conclude the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages before the end of the next week.