The Latest | Hamas says it agreed to a Gaza cease-fire deal, no comment yet from Israel

Associated Press
·2 min read
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(AP) — The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel. It issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

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The announcement came hours after Israel’s military said it ordered some 100,000 people to evacuate the southern Gaza city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold.

Over a million people in Rafah are huddled in tents and overcrowded apartments after fleeing Israel’s military offensive in other parts of the territory. The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction throughout several cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.

The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, abducting about 250 people and killing around 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

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News of Hamas’ announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets. People rushed into the streets in front of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, chanting and cheering the news.

Details of the proposal were not immediately released. But in recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages in which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas’ key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

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