Israel has reportedly offered a “deal” to the leadership of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, promising to guarantee their survival if they give up control of the Gaza Strip and leave for exile.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabian news outlet Al Hadath cited a high-ranking Israeli official currently involved in ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Doha, Qatar, a neutral country, reporting that Israel has proposed this deal. The offer reportedly includes a pledge not to pursue further tracking or assassinate Hamas leaders after they leave Gaza. Following their departure, Israel plans to work with the international community to establish governance of Gaza under an independent Palestinian organization. Al Hadath specifically mentioned that Israel is considering the deployment of peacekeeping forces under the command of international bodies like the UN, similar to the recent ceasefire agreement made in Lebanon. The source also indicated that the United States would monitor the entire process.
Despite ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations, Israel has continued its intense airstrikes on Gaza. For two days starting from January 4, Israel targeted areas including the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, a police station in southern Khan Younis, and the Sheikh Radwan residential area in northern Gaza City. The Israeli military claimed to have struck over 100 locations in Gaza during this time, reportedly killing dozens of Hamas fighters and destroying facilities used for recent rocket launches. Gaza medical personnel reported that Israeli airstrikes over the weekend resulted in 105 Palestinian fatalities. However, the proportion of Hamas members to civilians among the deceased remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has expressed concern over civilian casualties from Israel’s indiscriminate attacks while maintaining its stance of understanding Israel’s justification for the attacks. The U.S. State Department emphasized that Israel must adhere to international law and make greater efforts to protect civilians while also reaffirming its support for Israel’s right to self-defense.