Reports state that senior officials voiced worries, thus Israel's response was also expected. Amidst an impending Israeli military attack on Rafah, Hamas announced that it had accepted the terms of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
However, no specifics had been disclosed.Reported by the BBC, Hamas notified mediators in Egypt and Qatar of its decision through a statement posted on its official website.
According to the sources, Hamas forwarded its acceptance of the ceasefire through a posting on its official website after a telephone conversation between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence minister Abbas Kamel.
The details of the ceasefire are not known so far, including its duration and the exact status of Israeli captives in Gaza.
There are indications that Israel is not fully in sync with the ceasefire terms as they are now being presented, though no official statement has been released as yet.
Israeli officials reportedly said that their negotiating team received Hamas's response from the mediators and that it is now assessing it. They underlined that the current proposal is different from the deal agreed upon with Egypt a week ago, which formed the basis for the previous indirect negotiations.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, again underlined his country's position against an invasion of Rafah without a comprehensive plan to protect civilians there.
Netanyahu, in turn, underlined Israel's firm refusal to yield to Hamas's demands to end the Gaza conflict. 'There will not be a situation in which Hamas controls Gaza again, rebuilds its arms and again threatens the lives of Israeli citizens,' he explained.
Read also | Israeli Airstrikes Respond to Hamas Rocket Attack, Resulting in 16 Deaths in Rafah
