On day 206 of the war, Hamas agreed to a six-week ceasefire with Israel as part of a truce.

And if on the one hand the Israeli Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, today in Rome, meeting the press said that «Hamas did not accept the agreement, it is their usual trick», on the other hand in reality the leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh informed Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel "of the movement's approval of their proposal on the ceasefire agreement." Haniyeh called the two leaders directly on the phone.

The Israeli negotiating team, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, has received and is studying Hamas' response to the Egyptian mediators. “We are verifying the proposal and its consequences,” said a source quoted by the media.

Hamas's yes comes after Israel had started the evacuation of Rafah and the War Cabinet had approved the offensive, scheduled for the next few days, which can only be stopped by a truce.

(Unioneonline/ss)