IDF strikes targets in Rafah despite Hamas accepting ceasefire proposal

• The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel.
• It issued a statement saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister.
• Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, following Hamas’s announcement
• IDF confirmed that it is striking targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza.
• The operation in the city, where over 1 million Palestinians are seeking refuge and a high death toll is feared, has triggered international concern.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv will send a delegation to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations.

Statement from the PM’s Office said:

“The War Cabinet unanimously decided this evening Israel will continue its operation in Rafah, in order to apply military pressure on Hamas so as to advance the release of our hostages and achieve the other objectives of the war.

While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel’s core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel.”

Riyadh has issued a statement in response to Israel’s offensive in Rafah. The statement reads:

“The Foreign Ministry expresses Saudi Arabia’s warning of the dangers of the Israeli occupation forces targeting the city of Rafah as part of its systematic bloody campaign to storm all areas of the Gaza Strip and displace its residents towards the unknown.”

Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces are now striking targets in the area, according to the officials.

The move came hours after Hamas’s acceptance of ceasefire proposal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands,” but that it would nonetheless send negotiators to continue talks on a ceasefire agreement.

Demonstrators gathered in central Tel Aviv, urging the Israeli government to agree to a deal that would bring home the hostages from Gaza.

The demonstration took place after the Hamas’ announcement of agreeing to a ceasefire proposal.

CIA Director Bill Burns was actively engaged with partners in the region to evaluate the Hamas statement and next steps, Kirby said.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Israel will continue its operations in Gaza for now.

Hagari spoke after the Hamas militant group said it accepted the ceasefire proposal.

“We examine every answer and reply very seriously and find every possibility regarding the negotiations for the return of the hostages to their homes as a central task as quickly as possible and at the same time we continue our operations in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so,” Hagari said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed a statement by the Hamas militant group that it has accepted a ceasefire proposal, and he called on Israel to also accept the deal.

“In our meeting with Mr. Haniyeh, we discussed the efforts made to end the conflicts and violence in Gaza.

We evaluated Hamas’s approval of the ceasefire proposal it received from the mediators.

During the meeting, in which I expressed that we found Hamas’s decision based on Turkey’s suggestions positive, we also emphasised that Israel should take steps for a permanent ceasefire. I call on all parties, especially Western countries, to put the necessary pressure on Israel for a ceasefire.” Erdogan said on a post shared on social media.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because Israel is still formulating a formal response, did not elaborate.

The language signaled that a deal could still be a ways off.

Al Jazeera report that the proposal Hamas agreed to would include three phases, with each lasting 42 days.

A truce would begin in the first phase, along with a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the corridor diving northern and southern Gaza.

In the second phase, there would be a permanent cease of military and hostile operations along with an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The third phase entails an end to the blockade of Gaza.

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said “We’re reviewing [Hamas’] response now and reviewing with our partners in the region.

“We’ll be discussing with them over the coming hours, we continue to believe a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” Miller added.