Hamas said on Wednesday that its main proposed amendment to the latest draft of a ceasefire agreement is for Israeli forces to withdraw more than 800 metres from residential areas in Gaza.
The announcement followed Israel’s demand for the release of all 50 hostages held in the Palestinian territory, contradicting the current proposal for a phased release and dimming hopes for a last-ditch truce.
Israel has yet to formally respond to the ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt, which Hamas has agreed to.
A senior official in the Palestinian militant group told The National Hamas thinks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will not agree” to the new draft.
He said the previous terms “proposed withdrawals to a depth less than what the movement demanded, but Hamas insisted on Israeli withdrawal of more than 800 metres from residential areas”.
The official confirmed that Hamas has also accepted that it won't govern Gaza, but insisted that the Palestinian Authority cannot rule the Strip alone.
“Hamas does not object to Gaza being administered by a body of local professionals, and governing the Strip is not a priority for Hamas. But the Palestinian Authority has not engaged positively, and if it seeks to rule Gaza alone, that will not succeed,” he said.
Qatar on Tuesday urged Israel to accept a 60-day truce to avert a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the strip. Hamas accepted the proposal, which would provide for the initial release of 10 hostages.
Local media reports say Israel will give a formal response by Friday.
“What Netanyahu is doing in Gaza is an attempt to humiliate Hamas, to break the movement, and to force it to accept his terms,” said the official, adding that 70 per cent of Gaza is now under Israeli occupation.
Comprehensive agreement
Qatar said the proposal that Hamas has agreed to is “almost identical” to an earlier plan put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Israel had previously agreed to the outline of the Witkoff plan, but withdrew negotiators from Qatar last month and blamed Hamas for the failure to reach a deal. Since then, it has approved plans for a new offensive to seize Gaza city, forcing renewed efforts to stop the war.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the Gaza city occupation plan.
“We received the response, as we said, from Hamas. It was a very positive response,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on Tuesday. “However, we are still, of course, awaiting the Israeli side's response to this proposal.”
He added that while there was no time frame for a response, Israel was looking into the matter and “we hope for a quick and positive response”.
The proposal includes a path to a comprehensive agreement to end the war, Mr Al Ansari said.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Hamas has agreed to lay down and store its weapons under international supervision. It has also agreed to the deployment of an Arab force in Gaza under UN supervision to maintain security.
The sources said Hamas told Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it has dropped its condition for a written US guarantee on negotiations with Israel over a complete withdrawal from Gaza, and for the ceasefire to continue until such an agreement is reached.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that sparked the war, 50 are still in Gaza.
Hamas and other factions killed 1,200 Israelis in the assault on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in its war on Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the enclave's health authorities.
A permanent ceasefire
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he spoke to the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders about the prospects of a ceasefire, and condemned Israel's planned campaign in Gaza City.
"I have just spoken with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt. We share the same conviction: The military offensive in Gaza that Israel is preparing can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war," he wrote on X.
"We believe that only the following course of action can bring this conflict to an end: The establishment of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; the release of all hostages; the large-scale delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza; the disarmament of Hamas and the strengthening of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza," he added.
"To achieve this, together with Egypt, Jordan, and all our regional and international partners, we must: Deploy an international stabilisation mission for Gaza; work towards a political solution that fulfils the aspirations of both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian."
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
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Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
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The%20Roundup
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