Hamas rejected Israel's offer of a one-week ceasefire for the release of hostages, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the
release of Palestinian prisoners. Tensions remain high: after a 40-hour lull, an air raid warning was sounded near the Gaza
border.
Hamas militants have rejected Israel's proposal to cease hostilities for one
week in order to release the hostages. Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, an air raid alarm sounded near the border with
Gaza after a 40-hour lull, an air raid alarm was sounded. This was reported by UNN
reports with reference to The Wall Street Journal and The Times of Israel.
Details
Egyptian officials told The Wall Street Journal that Hamas said,
that the group will not discuss the release of its Israeli prisoners
until the ceasefire comes into effect.
For the first time, representatives of the
of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second largest Palestinian militant
group operating in the Gaza Strip. This group also stated that Israel
must cease fire before negotiations can begin and that Israel must
release all thousands of its Palestinian prisoners in exchange for more than 100
hostages who remain in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday that a pause in the fighting in
in exchange for the release of hostages is "something we would very much like to see
to see happen."
According to Egyptian officials, in the offer rejected by Hamas, Israel
had sought the release of 40 hostages, including all remaining women and children
remaining women and children abducted from Israel during the Oct. 7 attacks and elderly
male hostages in need of urgent medical care. Instead.
the Israeli military will suspend ground and air operations in Gaza for a week and allow the delivery of humanitarian
week and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, Egyptian
officials said.
Addendum
After failed negotiations, according to The Times of Israel, on Thursday
morning, after 40 hours of calm, an air raid was sounded near the Gaza border. The sirens
were heard in the village of Nirim, located near the border with Gaza.
This is apparently the first rocket to be fired from Gaza in almost 40 hours, which is
the longest pause in rocket fire since October 7, not counting the week-long
ceasefire last month