Hamas Response to "Paris Ceasefire Proposal" and Israel's Rejection
On February 7, the resistance organization Hamas formally gave its response to the General Framework for a Comprehensive Agreement among the Parties, i.e. the Paris initiative. The proposal was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and sent to Hamas on February 2. News reports state that it calls for a two-month ceasefire to allow for the release of some 100 Israelis held captive by the Palestinian resistance, in exchange for an unspecified number of the over 9,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; an increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza and exchange of captured Israeli soldiers and bodies of Israelis killed in Gaza. The following day, on February 2, Hamas announced that the Palestinian resistance organizations were discussing the proposal. "Our stance towards any deal is based on one priority, which is halting the aggression on the entire Palestine and the blockade of Gaza, as well as rebuilding Gaza and the swap deal."
Arabic news outlet Al Mayadeen subsequently elaborated on the unified position of the Palestinian resistance movements who did not find a number of elements of the Paris proposal satisfactory. Most importantly, there was no clause confirming a ceasefire after the truce ends and no regional or international guarantees that the Israeli occupation would not resume hostilities once Israelis held in captive by the resistance forces were released. Also it offered no guarantees that Israel would withdraw from Gaza; no measures for reconstruction, temporary housing, rebuilding of hospitals, schools and other infrastructure in Gaza. Citing resistance sources close to the situation, Al Mayadeen reported: "The Resistance cannot hand over its trump card, the military captives, without a guaranteed ceasefire, a withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces, and an agreement on reconstruction and lifting the siege."
The February 7 response from Hamas came as a fully elaborated counterproposal which states: "This agreement aims to stop the mutual military operations between the parties, achieve complete and lasting calm, exchange prisoners between the two sides, end the blockade on Gaza, reconstruction, return of residents and displaced persons to their homes, and provide shelter and relief requirements for all residents in all areas of the Gaza Strip, according to the following stages: ..." It goes on to set out three stages of implementation.
First Stage (45 Days), referred to as the humanitarian phase. The text sets out six specific actions to be taken during this initial phase, including:
1) A temporary cessation of military operations, cessation of aerial reconnaissance and redeployment of Israeli forces away from populated areas in the entire Gaza Strip;
2) the release of Israeli detainees from among women and children (under the age of 19, not conscripted), the elderly and the sick, in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners;
3) entry of necessary and sufficient quantities for the population's needs (to be determined) of humanitarian aid and fuel daily, allowing appropriate quantities of humanitarian aid to reach all areas in the Gaza;
4) reconstruction of hospitals across the Strip and introducing what is necessary for establishing population camps/tents for sheltering the population, and resumption of all humanitarian services provided to the population by the United Nations and its agencies;
5) beginning of (indirect) negotiations regarding the requirements necessary for restoring complete calm; and
6) that agreement on the measures of the first phase being integral "with the agreement on details of the second and third stages during the implementation of the first stage."
Second Stage (45 Days). "The completion of (indirect) negotiations regarding the requirements necessary for the continued cessation of mutual military operations and return to a state of complete calm must be announced before implementing the second stage." It would see the release of all detainees (civilian and conscripts), withdrawal of Israeli forces outside the borders of all Gaza Strip areas, the start of construction of housing and infrastructure destroyed throughout Gaza Strip and the complete end of the siege on the Gaza Strip.
Third Stage (45 Days). "This stage aims at exchanging the bodies and remains of the deceased between the two sides after identification, and continuation of humanitarian measures from the first and second stages, according to what will be agreed upon in the first and second stages."
The agreement calls for "Stopping the incursions and aggression by Israeli settlers on Al-Aqsa Mosque and returning the situation in Al-Aqsa Mosque to what it was before 2002"; "opening of all crossings with the Gaza Strip, resumption of trade, and allowing the freedom of movement of individuals and goods without obstacles"; "Ensuring all wounded men, women, and children are allowed to receive treatment abroad without restrictions," among others.
The text designates that "Egypt and Qatar will lead efforts with all necessary parties to manage and supervise the guarantee [for] the implementation, including: providing sufficient heavy equipment for clean up, the requirements of the Ministry of Health, the reconstructing of hospitals and bakeries, establishing camps for residents, introducing no less than 60,000 temporary homes (such that 15,000 homes enter the Gaza Strip each week), 200,000 shelter tents (at rate of 50,000 tents per week), rebuilding infrastructure in all areas, rehabilitating electricity, telecommunications and water works and development of a reconstruction plan to be realized within no more than three years."
It calls for resumption of all humanitarian services provided to the population by the UN and its agencies, especially the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees; resupplying the Gaza Strip with fuel necessary to operate power generation stations in all parts of the Gaza Strip, the occupation's commitment to supply Gaza with its electricity and water needs and ongoing negotiations "regarding the requirements necessary for the continued cessation of mutual military operations and return to a state of complete and mutual calm."
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu immediately dismissed the written proposals submitted by Hamas. He reiterated his claim about "the inevitability of achieving a crushing victory" over the resistance of the Palestinian people. "After Hamas is destroyed Gaza will be demilitarized and there is only one force that can ensure Israel's security. That means Israel will operate in Gaza wherever and however long is needed to ensure terrorism does not lift its head again," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he has ordered troops to "prepare to operate" in Rafah, which at that time was the last major town in the Gaza Strip Israeli ground troops had yet to enter.
Following a U.S. State Department statement on February 8, that the U.S. would not support Israel sending ground troops into Rafah without a plan to evacuate civilians, Netanyahu said he ordered the military to prepare such a plan.
It is estimated as many as 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge in the town and surrounding area after fleeing Israeli bombardment elsewhere in Gaza.
This article was published in
Volume 54
Number 10 - February 13, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS54103.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca