“Hamas” and Israel are getting closer to a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, the leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Ismail Haniya, assured today, quoted by France Press and Reuters.
“(Hamas) has sent its response to the Qatari brothers and the mediators. We are getting closer to concluding a ceasefire agreement,” Haniya said in a short message posted on the Palestinian movement’s Telegram account, AFP and BTA reported. .
The Hamas leader reiterated the same in a statement sent to Reuters. The text contains no details.
Yesterday, US President Joe Biden expressed optimism that such an agreement is on the way, Reuters recalls.
A day earlier, Qatar, which is brokering the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said only “very minor” obstacles remained to reaching a deal on the matter, AFP noted.
Yesterday, Ismail Hania met in Qatar, where he lives, with the chairperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Miryana Spolaric.
Hamas took about 240 hostages in its attack in Israel on October 7. It has been rumored for several days that an agreement is on the way to release some of the prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire that would allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, which the population of the Gaza Strip desperately needs.
However, the violence does not stop at this stage.
At least 17 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip at midnight, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, as quoted by Reuters.
This data has not been independently verified. So far, there is no comment from the Israeli army.
