Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh speaks to press as he pays a visit to Palestinian photojournalist Ashraf Amra, a freelancer for Turkiye’s premier news agency Anadolu who was severely injured on his hand by Israeli army fire while covering a protest demonstration, at the Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital in Istanbul, Turkiye on September 22, 2023.
Cem Tekkesinoglu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Hamas said it told Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that it has approved a cease-fire proposal to halt the war in Gaza, according to a press statement.
Israel has not yet issued a formal response.
Negotiations intensified over the weekend, with facilitation from U.S. CIA Director William Burns, alongside mediators from Egypt and Qatar.
The negotiations came amid Israel’s ongoing threats to invade Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, which appeared imminent if a temporary cease-fire agreement was not reached.
U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah, where millions of civilians have taken refuge.
Last week, the U.S. paused a shipment of weapons to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs, as Israel continued to signal that a ground invasion of Rafah could be coming soon, two senior administration officials confirmed to NBC News.
On Monday, Israel ordered civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate, adding to fears that Israel plans to invade the southern city.
NBC News previously reported that the deal would require Hamas to release 33 hostages in exchange for Israel agreeing to release Palestinian prisoners and pause military operations, which would ease the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
This is developing news. Check back for updates.
