Israel Agrees to Ceasefire in Gaza Strip - Report
18:27 GMT 01.02.2024 (Updated: 19:03 GMT 01.02.2024)
© AP Photo / Mahmoud Abo SalamahPalestinians look for survivors after an Israeli strike on a building last night in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
© AP Photo / Mahmoud Abo Salamah
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DOHA (Sputnik) - Israel has agreed to the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and a positive reaction has also been received from the Palestinian movement Hamas, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Ansari said on Thursday.
"Israel agreed to the ceasefire proposal, and we received an initial positive reaction from Hamas," Ansari told Al Jazeera.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 26,000 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.