The proposed deal on ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, tentatively approved by Palestine’s radical Hamas movement, envisages the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave and an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza, the deputy head of Hamas in Gaza told Al Jazeera, APA reports.
According to Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and the deputy chief of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the proposal includes a three-stage truce, with each phase lasting 42 days.
During phase one, Israeli troops will be pulled back to areas on the border with Gaza. Complete Israeli troop withdrawal is to take place during stage 2.
The Hamas official also said the proposed deal envisages an immediate cessation of all hostilities once the agreement takes effect.
Al-Hayya said the proposal also paves the way for unhindered return of displaced persons to their homes. "This clearly stands in the text of the agreement," he emphasized.
However, the Hamas official made no direct mention of Israeli hostages, currently held in the Gaza Strip, but said the proposal "includes the release of 30 persons falling under the same category" from Israeli prisons.
"The ball is now in Israel’s court," he said. "I think the agreement satisfies all the sides. <…> We made concessions in order to create prerequisites for ending this insane war and to pave the way for a real exchange of prisoners. We are waiting for the occupation government’s response to our decision to approve the ceasefire initiative."
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