DayofPal– Hope for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza dimmed once again as Israel rejected a Hamas proposal for a five-year truce that would have included the release of all Israeli captives, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
According to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, a senior Israeli political official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel would not accept any agreement that “allows Hamas to rearm and prepare for future attacks.”
The rejection comes despite Hamas’ offer of a full prisoner exchange and a long-term ceasefire to halt the bloodshed devastating the enclave.
Meanwhile, Maariv newspaper reported that Israel’s Security Cabinet is set to convene for an emergency session Monday night, htits third meeting this week, amid plans to escalate military operations in Gaza even further.
Just two days earlier, Hamas announced its readiness for a full-scale prisoner swap and a ceasefire lasting at least five years. The resistance movement emphasized that it remains open to a long-term truce but firmly refuses to disarm.
“We will not lay down our arms,” said Tahir Al-Nunu, media adviser to Hamas political bureau chief Khalil Al-Hayya.
Sources close to the negotiations, cited by Reuters, said Hamas is working with international mediators to gain traction for the proposal, which could extend the ceasefire to seven years in exchange for the cessation of attacks, Gaza’s reconstruction, and a comprehensive prisoner exchange.
While Hamas seeks a complete agreement that addresses the root causes of the war, Israeli officials remain adamant: no deal without the immediate return of Israeli prisoners and the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions, even if the killing of civilians continues unabated.
Families of Israeli captives, increasingly frustrated with their government’s hardline stance, have called for a massive protest in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, coinciding with Israel’s so-called “Independence Day”, a day Palestinians remember as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”
Tensions spilled into the courtroom last week when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on corruption charges. Families of the Israelis captives shouted accusations, claiming he had “abandoned” their loved ones in Gaza.
Currently, Israel estimates that 59 of its citizens remain captive in Gaza. In contrast, Israeli prisons hold over 10,000 Palestinians, many of whom endure harsh conditions including torture, starvation, and medical neglect, abuses that have already claimed dozens of lives.
Since resuming its full-scale assault on Gaza on March 18, Israel has killed more than 2,000 additional Palestinians and wounded about 4,500 more, with over 1,000 of the casualties being children.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the ongoing Israeli offensive has killed 52,314 Palestinians and injured 117,792 others since the start of the assault on October 7, 2023.
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