Israel agrees to ceasefire in Gaza Strip, says Qatar.
A spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Ansari, also said that he had received "a positive initial reaction from Hamas."
247 - Israel has agreed to the ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip, and a positive reaction has also been received from the Palestinian movement Hamas, said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Ansari on Thursday (1).
"Israel agreed to the ceasefire proposal and we received a positive initial reaction from Hamas," Ansari told Al Jazeera.
The announcement comes after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to discuss the ongoing crisis in Gaza and efforts to free all remaining hostages held by Hamas, as reported by the White House on Tuesday (31).
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1.200 people and kidnapping about 240 others, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel launched retaliatory attacks, ordered a total blockade of Gaza, and initiated a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the stated objective of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing hostages. More than 26.600 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip by Israel's indiscriminate attacks, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar brokered an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. It is believed that more than 100 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza. (With information from Sputnik).