Gaza on the brink of a truce

Negotiations continue for a ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The United States is mediating to get Israel and Hamas, the opposing sides in the conflict, to accept the terms of a new two-month ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, which could be the prelude to the definitive end of the armed conflict that has been dragging on in its final phase for more than a year and a half.

This war has gone on for too long and is taking a heavy toll on the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, both in terms of human lives, which number in the tens of thousands, and in terms of hunger and very difficult living conditions. The current conflict began after the terrible attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group on 7 October 2023 on Israeli territory, which left more than 1,200 dead and 250 hostages. In response to this offensive, the Israeli army responded with great force, leaving the current high number of fatalities.

Now, Hamas is considering the proposed ceasefire and Israel is waiting to see what the Palestinian extremist group will say.

The Palestinian movement Hamas announced that it is considering the new ceasefire offer in Gaza, while Israel said it is waiting and hoping for a positive response.

Within Hamas, consultations are taking place with various Palestinian leaders and representatives in response to the offer received from peace mediators in talks held in Cairo, Egypt, before an official statement is made. At the moment, there is no decision either for or against the offer.

Various Israeli media outlets reported that Hamas had officially stated that it was studying the truce offer. Some even went further and claimed that the Palestinian group had agreed to the truce conditions, something denied by Hamas, which said that no decision had been taken.

In response to US pressure for Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce in Gaza, the Israeli side is demanding the release of hostages, while Hamas is emphasising the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and avoiding its total dismantling, which was a priority objective of the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the terrorist attacks on 7 October 2023.

In this regard, it appears that the Islamist extremist group is proposing to hand over up to ten hostages and the bodies of 18 others if Israeli troops withdraw, a withdrawal opposed by the Israeli government.

The United States has also agreed in principle to monitor the agreement if a ceasefire is reached, even in the future, to ensure that the terms of the agreement continue to be met in the near future.

There was some optimism in the United States and Israel about a positive response from Hamas to the cessation of hostilities within a couple of months, but uncertainty remains.

Palestinian extremists, meeting in Cairo with mediators, are now expected to respond in the coming hours to the new two-month truce proposal.

Despite the apparent momentum towards a ceasefire in Gaza under the terms proposed by US President Donald Trump, deaths have continued in the Gaza Strip in recent hours, reaching a hundred as a result of the Israeli offensive.