Israel denies being shown new cease-fire plan from Egypt, as Hamas responds ‘positively’ to it
Isra🐽el denied it was given any new proposed peace deal by Egyptian negotiators Monday, even as Ham🔯as said its leaders had “responded positively’’ to the plan.
The proposed deal would involve the Palestinian terror group releasing five hostages, including the final American being held, Edan Alexander, an Egyptian official said Monday — a day after Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 60 people in the Gaza Strip.
In return, Israel ಞwould allow the flow of hu🤪manitarian aid into the Gaza Strip again and end the bombardment of the territory for a week, as well as release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
A Hamas official said his group had “responded positively” to the proposal but did not give further details, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity.
But Israel denied being presented with any new proposal to pause the conflict and release further hostages including Alexander, who was supposed to have been freed earlier this month, before Hamas reneged on the arrangement.
“We haven’t heard of any new proposal,” an Israeli official .
Israel’s main aim is still to get Hamas to agree to the US-backed “Witkoff proposal,” the official added.
That proposal would have seen the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas extended through April 19 and have Hamas release five hostages in return for Palestinian🔜 security prisoners.
Israel has said it “will keep increasing the pressure until Hamas breaks” if the group doesn’t agree to Israel’s terms, the official said.
Israeli forces “will embark on a widespread ground campaign” in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t agree to the terms, the official said.
More than 500 Palestiꦐnians have reportedly been killed since the resumption of figꦺhting in the Gaza Strip on March 18, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the territory.
The developments came as an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital killed a top Hamas official Saturday night.
Ismail Barhoum, 56, a member of Hamas’ Politburo, died in the strike on the Nasser hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, according to the Saudi-owned outlet Al Arabiya.
Last week, after the collapse of a proposed cease-fire, an ex-Israel Defense Forces spokesman warned Israel would inflict pain on Hamas “like never before.
“If you don’t release hostages, there’s a price to pay in blood,” former IDF spokesman Col. Johnathan Conricus told Fox News on Sunday.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been handling cease-fire negotiations, has admitted he may have been “duped” by Hamas during the peace talks, after his team helped to broker a deal which quickly fell apart.
“I certainly hope we get everybody back to the table and get the hostages home,” Witkoff said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I thought we had a deal — an acceptable deal. I even thought we had an approval from Hamas.”
“Maybe that’s just me getting duped,” he said. “I thought we were there, and evidently, we weren’t.”
