The militant group operating in Gaza, Hamas, has accepted a UN resolution supporting a plan to end the Israel-Gaza war which has killed thousands of people so far, a senior official of the group said.
Reacting to the news, the US Secretary of State called it “a hopeful sign”. He added that a definitive word was still needed from the Hamas leadership inside Gaza. “That’s what counts, and that’s what we don’t have yet,” he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv that discussions regarding plans for Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war will continue on Tuesday afternoon and over the next few days following his talks with Israeli leaders. “It’s imperative that we have these plans,” he emphasised.
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US meets Israeli officials
Blinken on Tuesday met Israeli officials in an attempt to push efforts to end the country’s air and ground war against Hamas. The eight-month-old war has caused a huge damage in Gaza. This comes a day after President Joe Biden’s proposal for a truce was approved by the UN Security Council.
Ahead of Blinken’s trip, both Israel and Hamas reiterated their hardline positions that have undermined previous mediation efforts to end the conflict. Meanwhile, Israel continued its assaults in central and southern Gaza, resulting in some of the war’s bloodiest confrontations.
However, today, a senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the group accepted the ceasefire resolution, adding that it was ready to negotiate. It was up to Washington to ensure that Israel abides by it, he added.
He said Hamas accepted the formula, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israel.
“The U.S. administration is facing a real test to carry out its commitments in compelling the occupation to immediately end the war in an implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
(With Reuters inputs)
