The Palestinian militant group Hamas said that it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza Strip, according to multiple reports.
In a statement on Monday, May 6, Hamas said that the supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had called the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and the chief of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel and “informed them of the approval of the Hamas movement of their ceasefire proposals”.
The two Middle Eastern nations have been mediating months of talks between Israel and Hamas.
However, Israel’s acceptance of the terms of the ceasefire plan between Qatar and Egypt remains uncertain.
It also unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the proposal as explained last week, or a revised version of it.
Hamas acceptance of the deal comes just hours after Israel ordered Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah ahead of an Israeli military operation.
The order sparked fears of Israel’s imminent assault on Rafah, prompting over one million Palestinians to flee to the city, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped.
Displaced Palestinians are thrilled to learn that Hamas has reached a ceasefire deal, amidst fears of an imminent Rafah invasion, Al Jazeera reported.
