Hamas agrees to cease-fire deal as Israel prepares for Rafah action
- The deal has been brokered by Egypt and Qatar
- Israel has not yet commented on the proposal
- The seven-month conflict has killed more than 34,000 in Gaza
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(NewsNation) — Hamas announced Monday it has agreed to a cease-fire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
The announcement comes as Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah in preparation for a military action, as experts have sounded the alarm over a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Hamas said it had notified Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Egyptian Minister of Intelligence Abbas Kamel of its agreement to the cease-fire proposal, which has been under negotiation for some time.
Meanwhile, the Israeli prime minister’s office said the nation’s war cabinet had unanimously decided to go ahead with the operation in Rafah to exert pressure on Hamas. The statement also said the proposal is far from Israel’s requirements but that a team of mediators will be sent to work on the possibility of an agreement.
A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. is reviewing the Hamas response and discussing it with partners in the region.
According to recent statements from Egypt and Hamas, the deal would be done in stages, with Hamas releasing groups of hostages as Israeli troops pull back.
Israel recently advised roughly 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate Rafah, signaling a possible ground invasion, something the U.S. has warned against. Around the globe, world leaders have raised concerns about the 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah.
The city is also home to a crossing from Gaza into Egypt, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has already struggled to keep up with the needs of the population.
Humanitarian groups estimate that more than 85% of Gaza’s population has already been displaced due to the seven-month war, with roughly half of those fleeing to Rafah. More than 34,000 people have been killed, many of them women and children, and the U.N. reports hundreds of thousands are close to starvation.
While the U.S. has warned against a ground invasion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that taking Rafah is vital, as Israel considers it a Hamas stronghold.
Earlier efforts at a cease-fire deal included a proposal to end the fighting in exchange for the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas. Israel rejected the deal, vowing to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
