Hamas says ready to implement immediate ceasefire

12/9/2024 5:54

        The Palestinian Hamas group
        said on Wednesday that its negotiators reiterated its readiness
        to implement an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based
        on a previous U.S. proposal without new conditions from any
        party.
        
        The Palestinian group said in a statement that their
        negotiation team, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, met
        mediators on Wednesday including Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh
        Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief
        Abbas Kamel in Doha to discuss the latest developments in Gaza.
        
        Talks have so far failed to reach a deal to end the
        11-month-old war. Lingering issue include control of the
        Philadelphi corridor, a narrow stretch of land on Gaza's border
        with Egypt, persisting.
        
        CIA Director William Burns, who is also the chief U.S.
        negotiator on Gaza,
        
        said on Saturday
        
        that a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in
        the next several days.
        
        The previous proposal put forward by U.S. President Joe
        Biden in June laid out a three-phase ceasefire in return for the
        release of Israeli hostages.
        
        The recent war in Gaza started after Hamas militants
        attacked Israel on Oct. 7 killing 1,200 people and taking about
        250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's offensive
        has thus far killed at least 41,084 Palestinians and wounded
        95,029 others, the Gaza health ministry says.