Hamas says it has accepted Egypt, Qatar brokered cease-fire proposal

Hamas said Monday that it informed Egypt and Qatar that it accepted a cease-fire proposal, but it is unclear whether Israel has agreed to the same terms that would lead to a deal.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the matter, but an unnamed Israeli official said the proposal was unacceptable, according to Reuters. The official said that Hamas approved a "softened" proposal from Egypt that Israel had not accepted.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that his agency is discussing the proposal with partners in the region.

"The ball has been in Hamas' court. We have made clear that they should accept that offer, that Israel has made significant compromises and showed they wanted to reach an agreement that would lead to the release of hostages, that would bring an immediate cease-fire, and we had hoped that Hamas would take the deal that was on the table," Miller said.

He also said that he would "withhold judgment" until he and other officials fully review what Hamas is agreeing to.

Hamas' announcement came on the same day that Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate Rafah in southern Gaza in preparation for an invasion. Israel has said that four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah.

Hamas said that Political Bureau Head Ismail Haniyeh spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel and informed him of Hamas' acceptance of a ceasefire deal.

The last ceasefire between Israel and Hamas saw more than 100 people released during a nearly week-long truce in November 2023, including 80 Israelis who were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners, per CNN.

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