Hamas issued a statement agreeing to the Gaza ceasefire proposal made by Egypt and Qatar, reducing most of its demands. The Israeli chief negotiator is discussing the details of the proposal with mediators, and Israel will respond by the end of this week. The new proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of detained personnel in batches, aiming to initiate permanent ceasefire negotiations. Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces announced that they will initiate the next stage of military operations until they completely defeat Hamas. Large-scale protests have broken out in Israel, urging the government to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.
According to news reports, on the evening of the 18th local time, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued an official statement, stating that the organization and other Palestinian factions have agreed to the Gaza ceasefire proposal made by Egypt and Qatar on the 17th. The Israeli newspaper “Times of Israel” quoted an Arab diplomat as a source of information, saying that compared with Hamas’s proposals on the ceasefire plan last month, Hamas has reduced most of its demands this time.
According to Channel 12 TV in Israel, in recent hours, Israeli Chief Negotiator Ron Dermer, the Minister of Strategic Affairs, has been discussing with US Special Envoy for the Middle East Witkoe and Qatar mediators to further clarify the details of the proposal. Mediators are waiting for Israel’s response to agree to the latest ceasefire proposal. Egyptian sources revealed that Israel will respond to the new ceasefire proposal before the end of this weekend. The mediators and Israeli security officials will soon hold a meeting. The Israeli army radio said that Israel’s position has not changed – to release all hostages and comply with the conditions to end the war. Sources also indicated on that day that they would not participate in any security operations in the Gaza Strip in the future.
A Palestinian anonymous official and an Egyptian security source earlier stated that the negotiating delegation in Cairo, Egypt had received a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from the mediator, which includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Israeli detainees in two batches. Sources said that this new proposal is a framework agreement aimed at initiating negotiations on a permanent ceasefire, which combines proposals from Egypt and US Special Envoy Witkoe for the Middle East. Egypt requires the handover of weapons and the takeover of the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian National Authority.
According to Xinhua News Agency on August 18th, the Israeli Defense Forces announced on the 17th that they will soon launch the next stage of military operations in Gaza City until they “defeat” the Palestinians completely.
The Israeli Chief of the General Staff, Zamir, arrived in the Gaza Strip on the 17th and stated that the Israeli military will enter the next stage of operations, continue to strengthen the strike, and deploy land, sea, and air forces until the end.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on the evening of the 16th, emphasizing that Israel insists on reaching a “comprehensive” ceasefire agreement, requiring the immediate release of all detained personnel and the fulfillment of all conditions proposed by Israel, or else the war will not end.
Israeli media quoted this statement, saying that Israel’s conditions include the lifting of arms, “de-militarization” of the Gaza Strip, Israeli control over the Gaza Strip border, and the establishment of a governance institution in the Gaza Strip that is neither a terrorist organization nor the Palestinian National Authority, but can coexist peacefully with Israel. The Israeli Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to “defeat Hamas” on August 8th, and the Israeli military was prepared to take over Gaza City. This action has triggered opposition and condemnation both inside and outside Israel.
On the 17th, large-scale demonstrations took place in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets, urging the government to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and release all detained personnel.
In Tel Aviv, an Israeli central city, tens of thousands of people gathered in a square near the Israeli Defense Ministry building and on surrounding streets. Xinhua saw demonstrators holding placards and photos of detained personnel, shouting slogans such as “Stop the war” and “Let them go home now”.
People in many parts of Israel also actively responded to the protests. Several videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators blocking some main roads in central Israel, some of which were even blocked in both directions. The demonstrators also set fires on roadways. The police used water cannon and other equipment to disperse those blocking roads and arrested several demonstrators.