A senior Egyptian who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity says terror group Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal for a two-month ceasefire in which Hamas would release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners.
The official says Hamas leaders have also refused to leave Gaza and are demanding that Israel fully withdraw from the territory and allow Palestinians to return to their homes.
Under Israel’s proposal, Yahya Sinwar and other top Hamas leaders in Gaza would be allowed to relocate to other countries.
The official says Egypt and Qatar, which have brokered past agreements between Israel and Hamas, are developing a multi-stage proposal to try to bridge the gaps. The proposal would include ending the war, releasing the hostages and putting forth a vision for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It’s a shame they don’t seem to care about Palestinian lives and Israel is expected to care more than they do. What’s baffling to me is that they still enjoy widespread support, nearly three in four Palestinians approve of Hamas and October 7th. Evidently this situation is what they want? If Hamas were deposed and the hostages released, this war could be over tomorrow.
The more Palestinian civilians Hamas throw into the meat-grinder, the more upset Westerners, who no longer understand war nor believe in anything worth fighting for, become.
The more upset they become, the more they pressure their governments to put pressure on Israel.
Eventually, Israel is forced to let Hamas live.
Hamas recover, then unleash even more violence a few years down the line.
Rinse. Repeat.
I don’t believe at this stage it is entirely Hamas doing the throwing. It seems Israel’s RoE is shoot anything that moves.