US says Israel ‘more or less’ accepts framework for Gaza truce
There is a deal for a possible six-week ceasefire in Gaza, a US official says, and Hamas must now decide.
Now it’s up to Hamas.
A senior official from the Biden administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that Israel had provisionally accepted the framework of the agreement. “There is a framework agreement. The Israelis have more or less accepted this,” the official said during a conference call with reporters. The official stressed that the responsibility for agreeing to the proposed terms now lies with Hamas, stressing the key role of the Palestinian organization in the peace process. “The ball is now in the Hamas camp,” they added.
The announcement comes ahead of a new round of talks expected to begin in Egypt, where international mediators have been working hard for weeks to conclude a ceasefire agreement. The urgency of these negotiations is underlined by the approaching start of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around March 10.
News of the framework deal “sounds like a significant development from the Americans because they want it to sound like a significant development,” said Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
“But it clearly looks like an attempt to pile on the pressure on Hamas before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins in just over a week from now,” he added, saying that the proposal is presenting them with a six-week pause in fighting and the promise of more aid deliveries at a desperate time.
Fundamentals of the agreement
The proposed agreement provides for a temporary six-week cessation of hostilities and calls on Hamas to release prisoners considered vulnerable, such as the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women. Moreover, the agreement aims to facilitate the delivery of aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza, a region where Israeli restrictions on imports of food, water, medicines and other goods have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.
Earlier this week, a senior Hamas official expressed skepticism about the prospects of reaching an agreement, citing significant discrepancies between the Palestinian group’s demands and Israel’s position. Nevertheless, the offer of a six-week truce and the promise of additional humanitarian aid supplies represent a glimmer of hope in what has been a difficult situation for many Palestinians.
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Without clearance in Rafah there is no chance for worth deal.