The Palestinian armed group Hamas has rejected Israel’s six-week ceasefire proposal. One of the conditions of the proposal was that Hamas would have to surrender its weapons.
A Palestinian official involved in the ceasefire talks stated that although Israel demanded that Hamas lay down its arms, it did not provide any commitment for a permanent end to the war or withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. As a result, Hamas has rejected the offer made by the occupying force.
According to British media outlet BBC on Tuesday (15 April), it is believed that Israel submitted the new proposal to mediating countries last week. The proposal came a few days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Following this, Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya met with Egyptian intelligence officials.
A senior Hamas official told the BBC, “The proposal sent to us via Egypt required Hamas to disarm. However, it contained no promises of a permanent ceasefire or Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. Therefore, Hamas is rejecting the entire proposal.”
This is the first time Israel has set disarmament as a condition for a ceasefire — something considered a “red line” by the armed group.
The Palestinian official further alleged that Israel is deliberately stalling the process. He said Israel is continuing military operations in an attempt to rescue their hostages. It is believed that 59 hostages are still in Gaza, 24 of whom are thought to be alive.
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said on Tuesday that they have lost contact with the fighters who were holding U.S.-Israeli citizen hostage Aiden Alexander. Hamdan alleged that the area where Aiden was held was directly bombed, and they suspect that Israel deliberately attempted to kill Aiden. This, he said, could be a tactic to relieve Israel from U.S. pressure for his release.