Hamas accepts Gaza truce proposal even as Israel says no deal reached

CAIRO: Hamas said on Monday that it had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar.The Islamist faction said in a statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief of its acceptance of their proposal.

There were no immediate details over what the agreement entailed.A senior Hamas official said Israel must now decide whether it accepts or “obstructs” a truce in Gaza.

“After Hamas agreed to the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it,” the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly about the negotiations.

However, an Israeli official has said no ceasefire had been agreed in Gaza.The Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a “softened” version of an Egyptian proposal, which included “far-reaching” conclusions that Israel could not accept.

“This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,” said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Earlier, US President Joe Biden “reiterated his clear position” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel defied US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the White House said.

Netanyahu “agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need,” it added in a readout of their call, after Israel closed the key Gaza border crossing following a Hamas rocket attack.