Move FM Global News

RAFAH, Egypt: Hamas announced this week that it has accepted a new ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, even as Israel signaled that its positions remain unchanged.

The development came as Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the Palestinian death toll from nearly 22 months of war has surpassed 62,000.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the negotiations, which Washington has also helped mediate. Writing on social media, he said the return of remaining hostages would only be achieved when Hamas was “confronted and destroyed,” adding that the sooner this happened, the better the chances of success.

Meantime, the IDF has commenced its invasion of Gaza City, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin said in a statement  on Wednesday. “Our forces already control the outskirts of the city,” he said.

Defrin said letters had gone out to 60,000 reservists calling them to duty, He said another 20,000 letters will be sent out next week.

Al Jazeera reported that 81 Palestinians were killed Wednesday in the opening rounds of the invasion.

Efforts to revive negotiations gained momentum in Cairo, where Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed that his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, had arrived to join the talks.

The discussions, which also involve senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, aim to restart ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Abdelatty told reporters that mediators are “exerting extensive efforts” to reintroduce a U.S.-backed plan for a 60-day truce.

Abdelatty spoke during a visit to the Rafah crossing on Gaza’s border with Egypt. The crossing has been closed since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, who had been sidelined throughout much of the conflict.

A senior Hamas official, Bassem Naim, confirmed that the group had accepted the new proposal but offered no details. An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously, said the proposal introduces changes to Israel’s military pullback and provides guarantees that negotiations on a lasting ceasefire would continue during the initial truce. The official described the plan as nearly identical to one Israel had accepted earlier, though Israel has not yet joined this round of talks.

Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, said that Cairo and Doha had forwarded the Hamas-accepted proposal to Israel. An Israeli official, also speaking anonymously, insisted that Israel’s positions had not shifted, particularly regarding the release of all hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed that Israel will continue its campaign until Hamas is disarmed, all hostages are returned, and Israel maintains long-term security control over Gaza. In a video message to the Israeli public, Netanyahu said reports of Hamas’ acceptance of the proposal showed the group was “under massive pressure.”

Israel’s plans to expand its offensive, including reoccupying Gaza City and other heavily populated areas, were announced after earlier ceasefire talks collapsed last month. These moves have fueled international criticism and provoked mass protests within Israel, where hundreds of thousands demonstrated on Sunday, demanding the safe return of hostages.

The war began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, in which 1,138 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 were abducted. Israel believes about 20 of the remaining hostages in Gaza are still alive, with most others released in earlier ceasefire deals.

Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, reported earlier this week that 62,004 Palestinians have been killed and another 156,230 wounded. The ministry does not separate civilians from combatants but says women and children make up about half the dead. The United Nations and independent experts regard its figures as the most reliable, though Israel disputes them and has not provided an alternative.

The ministry also reported that 1,965 people have died since May while seeking humanitarian aid. Witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds approaching aid convoys, while Israel insists it has only used warning shots.