Hamas is still considering its response to US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, as Israeli strikes overnight killed at least 13 Palestinians in the besieged territory.
The plan, which has received wide international support, requires Hamas to release all remaining hostages, leave power in Gaza, and disarm in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and an end to fighting. However, the proposal—accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—does not include a path to Palestinian statehood.
In Gaza, nine people, almost all women, were killed when a house was hit in the eastern part of the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Additionally, three people died when a strike hit a tent, also in Deir al-Balah, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. In Gaza City, health officials at Shifa Hospital reported receiving one body and several injured people, noting difficulties in transporting staff to the facility.
By Thursday morning, Israel had intercepted most of about 40 vessels in a widely watched flotilla carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid for Palestinians and aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, according to organizers. Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on social media that activists on board—including several European lawmakers—were safe and were being taken to Israel to begin procedures for their deportation to their home countries.
A senior Hamas official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that some points in the proposal agreed upon by Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu are unacceptable and must be amended, without elaborating. The official added that Hamas’ formal response will come only after consultations with other Palestinian factions. Hamas has conveyed its concerns to Qatar and Egypt, two key mediators who have expressed support for the plan, albeit with some reservations.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that triggered the war killed some 1,200 people and resulted in 251 abductions. Most of the hostages have been freed under previous ceasefire deals, but 48 remain held in Gaza, with around 20 believed by Israel to be alive.
The peace plan guarantees the flow of humanitarian aid and promises reconstruction in Gaza, placing the territory and more than two million Palestinians under international governance.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. UN agencies and many independent experts regard these figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Since Israel launched a major offensive in Gaza City last month, approximately 400,000 Palestinians have fled the famine-stricken area. On Thursday morning, smoke was visible in northern Gaza as residents fled south, the only direction of travel allowed on the main north-south road in the strip since midday on Wednesday.
Israel’s Defense Minister ordered all remaining Palestinians to leave Gaza City on Wednesday, calling it their last opportunity. He warned that anyone who stayed would be considered a militant supporter and face the full force of Israel’s latest offensive.
While Hamas’ military capabilities have been vastly depleted, it continues to carry out attacks. On Wednesday, at least seven projectiles were launched into Israel from Gaza, but all were either intercepted or fell in open areas, with no reports of casualties, the Israeli military said.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/hamas-considering-response-to-gaza-peace-plan-as-israeli-strikes-kill-13-1813898.html
