Hamas accepts Egyptian-Qatari proposal for Gaza ceasefire

Cairo [Egypt], August 19: Informed Egyptian sources told Al Qahera News that Hamas has agreed to the proposal presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediation, aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
According to the same sources, the proposal includes a 60-day cessation of military operations and the redeployment of Israeli forces to allow the entry of aid, along with the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 10 Israeli hostages and 18 bodies. From the first day of the truce, discussions would begin on mechanisms to achieve a permanent ceasefire, the Middle East News Agency reported.
This progress coincides with talks held in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.
The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency said that the meeting saw a shared affirmation of continued efforts, in coordination with the United States, to reach an agreement ensuring an immediate ceasefire and the unobstructed delivery of aid. Both sides also stressed their categorical rejection of any reoccupation of the Strip or displacement of Palestinians, reaffirming that the only path to lasting peace is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Spokesman added that President El-Sisi emphasised the need to begin immediately the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire, calling for preparations to convene the Cairo International Reconstruction Conference in cooperation with the Palestinian government and the United Nations.
Source: Emirates News Agency