Israel-Hamas ceasefire back on table in new negotiations
The southern Gaza strip has been hit by Israeli strikes in recent days
The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it supports resuming a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip through a proposal put forward by mediators which would see five more hostages released to Israel in exchange for a 50-day truce.
Khalil al-Hayya, the most senior Hamas leader outside Gaza, said the group had approved a draft deal sent by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it had also received the plan, and submitted a "counter-proposal to the mediators in full co-ordination with the United States".
If agreed to, the new limited ceasefire agreement could coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr which begins on Sunday.
On Saturday, Netanyahu's office said he had held consultations on the ceasefire proposal from the mediators.
It said the Israeli counter-offer had been agreed with the US, but did not provide further details.The US has not publicly commented on the issue.
It comes as Israeli forces launched a ground operation in Rafah and continued air strikes across Gaza Strip after a ceasefire which had come into force on 19 January ended earlier this month. Both sides had been unable to agree to a second phase of the deal after the first ended.
During the first phase, Hamas had released 33 hostages. The Iran-backed group is thought to still be holding 59 hostages, although not all are believed to be alive.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9x0kd4gro
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