Hamas, the Palestinian military wing, has expressed willingness to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Islamist group’s move to reach truce with Israel comes in the wake of the ceasefire that took hold in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have engaged with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” the official told AFP, however accusing Israel of obstructing a deal.
In a statement released later Wednesday, Hamas said “the enemy’s acceptance of the agreement with Lebanon without achieving its preconditions marks a significant milestone in shattering (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s illusions of reshaping the Middle East through force”.
The truce between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah aims to end a conflict that has displaced tens of thousands in Israel and hundreds of thousands in Lebanon.
A US- and France-brokered agreement, approved by Israel on Tuesday, outlines a two-month ceasefire and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon. Israeli troops are to withdraw to their side of the border as part of the deal.
Under the agreement, thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will be deployed in southern Lebanon, with compliance monitored by an international panel led by the United States. Israel has said it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if the group violates the terms of the agreement.
The war involved widespread airstrikes across Lebanon and the deployment of Israeli troops over the border to fight Hezbollah militants.
It began after Hezbollah launched cross-border attacks in support of Hamas, following Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The deal, however, does not cover the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, where Israel continues its military operations against Hamas following the group’s October 2023 cross-border attack.
After Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas says ‘ready’ for truce with Israel in Gaza – Times of India
