Hamas' announcement that the group has accepted a ceasefire agreement proposed by Egypt and Qatar “should pave the way for the return of the 132 hostages held captive by Hamas for the past 7 months,” the Hostage Families Forum said. in a statement.
In Tel Aviv, family members of hostages and supporters took to the streets asking the Israeli government to accept the proposal.
Protesters held signs with the faces of the hostages. Others said there could be no victory without all the kidnapped Israelis returning home.
Some expressed anger at the Israeli government, which said it would analyze the proposal that Hamas accepted, leaving open the possibility of a truce.
A similar protest took place in Jerusalem, as demonstrators shouted: “Nothing is more important, all hostages must return.”
Israeli authorities believe that 128 hostages captured in the October 7 attacks remain in Gaza and that at least 34 of them are dead.
“Now is the time for everyone involved to fulfill their commitment and transform this opportunity into an agreement for the return of all hostages”, adds the statement.
Hamas accepts ceasefire proposal
The head of Hamas's political office, Ismail Haniyeh, called mediators to report that the armed group had accepted a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release agreement made by Qatar and Egypt.
A source told CNN that the agreement that the armed group accepted is different from the one that Israel helped to build with mediators from Qatar and Egypt.
Israel has not yet accepted the measure, but Netanyahu said he would send a delegation for negotiations.
“At the same time, although Hamas’ proposal is far from Israel’s necessary demands, Israel will send a working delegation to the mediators in order to reach an agreement on conditions acceptable to Israel,” he said.
A diplomatic source familiar with the discussions told CNN that, after a meeting in Doha, the capital of Qatar, between the director of the CIA, the US intelligence agency, William Burns, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the mediators convinced Hamas to accept a three-phase agreement.
The United States stressed that it is analyzing Hamas' response, while Turkey's president called on Israel to accept the agreement.
*with information from Reuters
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
