On Monday, following negotiations in Cairo, Hamas said Monday that it is evaluating a proposal for a truce and hostage swap, while Israel’s defence minister said it is the perfect time for a deal, six months into a war with the Islamist militants in Gaza.
Israel is facing increasing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, especially from its main ally and arms supplier the United States.
Late Monday, a Hamas source close to the negotiations said the group was evaluating a proposal for a six-week truce and the release of Israeli women and child hostages in exchange for up to 900 Palestinian prisoners.
According to the sources, the first phase would also include the return of displaced Palestinian citizens to northern Gaza, as well as the daily delivery of 400 to 500 trucks of food aid to the enclave, where the United Nations has warned of impending starvation.
While negotiations were ongoing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that troops would be sent into Gaza’s far-southern Rafah city on a specific date.
“It will happen — there is a date”, Netanyahu declared in a televised statement that did not define the time frame. He argues that victory over Hamas militants in Gaza needs troops to go into Rafah, where around 1.5 million people have taken refuge.
The threat of a Rafah invasion has terrified world leaders and humanitarians. Following Netanyahu’s remark, the US State Department underlined that an invasion would have an enormously harmful effect on civilians, and ultimately Israeli security.
