Although Palestinian armed group Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza, Israel has yet to issue an official response, mediator country Qatar said on Tuesday.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari stated, “We have not yet received any official response from Israel. We are not giving weight to statements published in Israeli media. We are waiting only for an official reply. At the same time, we are maintaining communication with all parties.”
A week earlier, Hamas announced its readiness to accept the proposal and notified both Qatar and Egypt.
Under the plan, Israel would pause military operations for 60 days, withdraw troops from certain areas, and permit humanitarian aid into Gaza. A process for hostage–prisoner exchanges was also expected to begin during the truce.
Al Ansari emphasized that Hamas had accepted the same framework Israel previously agreed to, saying,“The ball is now in Israel’s court.”
According to Al Jazeera, after more than 10 days of discussions, no progress has been made. Instead, Israel has continued to carry out fresh attacks, causing widespread destruction while advancing plans to seize more territory in Gaza.
The ongoing war has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians. Qatar has urged the international community to pressure Israel into accepting a ceasefire.
