Hamas says Gaza truce possible 'within 24 to 48 hours' if Israel accepts demands
A senior Hamas official stated on Sunday that a potential ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could be achieved "within 24 to 48 hours" if Israel agrees to the Palestinian group's demands during ongoing talks.
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FollowA senior Hamas official stated on Sunday that a potential ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could be achieved "within 24 to 48 hours" if Israel agrees to the Palestinian group's demands during ongoing talks.
Speaking to the news agency AFP, the official said, "If Israel agrees to Hamas demands, which include the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and increasing humanitarian aid, that would pave the way for a (truce) agreement within the next 24 to 48 hours."
The official's comments coincide with the anticipated arrival of Israeli and Hamas delegations in Cairo on Sunday, aiming to find an acceptable formula for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. A senior US official mentioned on Saturday that a framework for a six-week pause in fighting had been established, contingent on Hamas releasing hostages held in Gaza since the conflict began on October 7 last year.
"The path to a ceasefire right now literally at this hour is straightforward. And there's a deal on the table. There's a framework deal. The Israelis have more or less accepted it," the official told reporters, adding, that the onus was on Hamas.
With a goal of putting an end to the dispute that has lasted for over five months, mediators have been working hard to secure a truce before Ramadan.
The aforementioned events occurred concurrently with the US's first of what it stated would be several food airdrops into Gaza for humanitarian purposes. Three US military C-130 aircraft reportedly dropped more than 38,000 meals into Palestinian territory, according to a Reuters report.
Social media users in Palestine shared videos of relief boxes being dropped.
Washington had earlier stated that Israel supports the airdrops and that they would be a continuous endeavour. Critics counter that airdrops are almost impossible to guarantee supplies do not end up in the hands of extremists and are significantly less effective than aid delivered by truck.
Protesters in Washington, DC, who were calling for a ceasefire in Gaza rejected the humanitarian aid that the Biden administration had sent by air. The demonstrators demanded that the US cease supplying Israel with military hardware as they assembled in front of the Israeli consulate.
Speaking to Reuters, protester Kathy Boylan said, "We're dropping some food, and we're dropping the bombs, and the tanks and the bullets and everything else at the same time. That's what he's Biden got to do."
"Stop sending the money in the weapons,” Boylan, who works with the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Movement, added.
