Israeli officials informed Reuters on Wednesday that Israel has agreed to concessions regarding the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza during talks in Egypt concerning a ceasefire in the region, but believes that Hamas does not seek an agreement.
According to the officials familiar with the talks, under a US proposal for the ceasefire, Israel will allow the return of 150,000 Palestinians to northern Gaza without security checks.
In return, Hamas will be asked to provide a list of names of female, elderly, and sick hostages it holds who are still alive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.
On Tuesday, Hamas stated that the latest proposal received from Egyptian and Qatari mediators does not meet its demands, but it will study it further before responding.
The Israeli assessment is that Hamas does not want to reach an agreement.
The movement demands an end to the Israeli military assault, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
Israel’s immediate goal is to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas since an attack across the border on October 7. Israel says it will not halt the war until it ends Hamas’s control in Gaza and its ability to threaten Israel militarily.
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced that the Israeli attack has resulted in the death of over 33,000 Palestinians so far, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and vast areas of the Strip destroyed.
Israel withdrew most of its ground forces from southern Gaza this week after months of fighting, but it still plans to attack Rafah, where now more than half of Gaza’s population resides.
Netanyahu stated that civilians in Rafah will be evacuated before Israeli forces pursue remaining Hamas elements there, but this commitment has done little to alleviate international concerns.
The war began when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, which Israel claims resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 253 hostages, with about 130 of them still held in Gaza.
