Hamas evaluates the latest ceasefire offer from Israel

Hamas said it has received Israel‘s latest ceasefire proposal, and will study it before giving a reply.

In a statement, the group appeared more willing to contemplate the proposal than previous offers. The newest offer was Israel’s response to Hamas’s own offer and came hours after an Egyptian delegation concluded its visit to Israel, where it discussed plans for a prolonged ceasefire.

“Hamas has received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the proposal presented to the Egyptian and the Qatari mediators on April 13,” Khalil Al-Hayya, said in a statement published by the group. He added that “upon completion of its study, [Hamas] will submit its response.”

No further details were given of the ceasefire proposal. The most recent talks floated an exchange of 40 Israeli hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

The talks come as both sides have remained on edge for months, anticipating a long-awaited Israeli ground offensive into the final Palestinian enclave of Rafah, along the Egyptian border. The international community, including the United States, has repeatedly demanded that Israel not launch an offensive, fearing the humanitarian effect of attacking an area where most of Gaza’s population has taken refuge.

The main conduit for aid to Gazan civilians is through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which would be shut down if a ground invasion were to take place. Despite repeated Israeli warnings, however, United States intelligence officials said they do not believe an offensive is imminent, according to the Washington Post.

Another dimension is growing frustration with Hamas among Gazans. Though the group remains largely popular, a growing number of people are growing angry with it over its role in the war and refusal to accept a ceasefire, a report from the Washington Post noted.

Freelance journalist Salma El-Qadomi told the outlet that Palestinians want leaders “who won’t drag people into a war like this… Almost everyone around me shares the same thoughts: We want this waterfall of blood to stop. Seventeen years of destruction and wars are enough.”

Others expressed pessimism over the war situation. Writer Fedaa Zayed said she believes Hamas is only avoiding a ceasefire in order to save face and not admit defeat.

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“In reality, we are in full retreat, the domestic front is destroyed,” she said. “We, as a people, want a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli army. We want to return to our homes even if they are in rubble.”

Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the group sympathizes with Gazans’ concerns, “But these complaints do not reflect the political situation.”