Hamas' announcement of a ceasefire deal has been met with skepticism by Israel

 

Hamas' announcement of a ceasefire deal has been met with skepticism by Israel, which claims that the proposal does not meet its demands. Despite this, Israel has agreed to send a delegation to Cairo to assess the proposal, which includes a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

The proposal, which has been presented as an acceptance of an Israeli proposal, includes a three-phase plan, with each phase lasting 42 days. The first phase would involve the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The second phase would include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the third phase would involve the rebuilding of Gaza during a period of "sustainable calm."

However, Israel has pushed back on Hamas' claim that it has agreed to a ceasefire deal, instead characterizing the response as a counterproposal with changes. The US has also expressed skepticism, with officials stating that the proposal is not what was agreed upon with Egypt last week.

The biggest sticking point is the question of a permanent ceasefire, which is a red line for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas has apparently accepted the constructive ambiguity about duration proposed by mediators, along with guarantees of a permanent ceasefire that are not enforceable.

Despite this, Netanyahu is under pressure from his hardline coalition to continue the war, and has vowed to launch a ground operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, regardless of a deal with Hamas. The Israeli military has already conducted air strikes in Rafah and seized control of the Palestinian side of the border crossing with Egypt, replacing Palestinian flags with Israeli ones.

The operation in Rafah may be designed to appease extremist ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet who have been pressuring him to press on with an invasion of the city. However, it may also be a tactical move to keep pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal that would bring about a ceasefire and a hostage release.

Both sides are pushing for maximalist demands because their political survival depends on it. Netanyahu faces intense pressure from his closest international allies and the families of Israeli hostages to agree to a ceasefire deal and avoid a full-scale invasion of Rafah, while Hamas is wary of its fate if the war ends without a guarantee of a permanent ceasefire.

Experts say that both sides only want a ceasefire deal that ensures their political survival. For Hamas, that means a permanent ceasefire that allows them to retain some military capabilities, while for Netanyahu, it means only a temporary pause on the path to "total victory."

Despite the challenges, pressure has been mounting domestically for both sides to end hostilities. Hamas is under tremendous pressure to accept ceasefire proposals from Egypt and Qatar in order to gain some respite for the organization and relief for the Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is facing pressure from his hardline coalition and the families of Israeli hostages to continue the war.

The outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: both sides are determined to emerge victorious, and the fate of Gaza and its people hangs in the balance.