Egyptian and Qatari mediators have received responses from Hamas and Palestinian groups to a U.S. plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian and Qatari governments announced on Tuesday, with officials briefed on the matter saying Hamas had proposed a new timeline.
The Egyptian and Qatari statements did not disclose the content of their response, but the officials, who requested anonymity, said Hamas had proposed a permanent ceasefire with Israel and a new timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, including Rafah.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the response: “We have reiterated our previous position. We do not believe there is a significant gap. The ball is now in Israel's yard.”
Egyptian authorities were not immediately available for further comment.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Doha and Cairo would continue their mediation efforts together with the United States until an agreement was reached, adding that it would review responses and coordinate next steps with the parties involved.
Egypt's statement came shortly after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad said they were “actively ready to reach an agreement” to end the war in Gaza and had submitted their response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
The UN Security Council on Monday endorsed US President Joe Biden's proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
US President Joe Biden on Friday announced what he called an Israeli “three-phase” proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which would include negotiating a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian territories and swapping some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
