Hamas accepts Qatari-Egyptian ceasefire proposal in Gaza | Israel War in Gaza News

The announcement comes after people began fleeing eastern Rafah after Israel ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands.

Hamas approved a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war presented by mediators Qatar and Egypt, says the Palestinian group, although Israel has not yet commented on the proposal.

“Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, held a telephone call with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, Mr. Abbas Kamel, and informed them of the approval of Hamas to its proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement,” the group said in a statement published on its official website on Monday.

Details of the proposal were not immediately clear.

The statement was released after people began fleeing the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after Israel ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate as fears grew of an all-out military assault there. More than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in the area.

Following Hamas’ announcement, crowds gathered to applaud and celebrate in Rafah.

Israel and Hamas have been involved in indirect talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt about a potential ceasefire in the Gaza war and an exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinian prisoners.

Egyptian and Hamas officials have previously said that a potential ceasefire would occur in several stages, in which Hamas would release Israeli prisoners it holds in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

It was unclear whether the agreement would meet Hamas’ main demands for a permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of displaced families to their homes.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rafah, said people began celebrating near Kuwait Hospital upon hearing Hamas’ announcement.

Children and the elderly are among those cheering and shouting for the return to Gaza City, he said.

“Everyone… is happy because they believe that an invasion of Rafah will bring an indescribable humanitarian catastrophe,” Abu Azzoum said. “Now they are so optimistic.”

The announcement brought “a sense of relief and calm” among Palestinians who are “exhausted and traumatized,” he said.

A displaced Palestinian in Rafah told Al Jazeera he hopes to be able to return home.

“We hope to return to our homes. …I’m from Gaza [City] itself,” he said.