JERUSALEM
The Israeli government has declined to confirm or deny reports that Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip had agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a month-long ceasefire that would, mediators hope, serve as prelude to a long-term truce.
"We can't confirm the report. We don't say anything right now," an official from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking anonymously, told Anadolu Agency on Monday.
According to reports that emerged earlier Monday, Egypt had proposed a new initiative for a ceasefire – to go into effect immediately – between Palestinian factions and Israel.
Israeli media confirmed that the Israeli government had received the Egyptian proposal but had yet to formally respond to it.
One Palestinian source close to the talks told Anadolu Agency that Palestinian negotiators had agreed to the proposal "without any reservations on the part of any of the Palestinian factions."
The source added that Egyptian mediators were now awaiting Israeli approval of the initiative, after which they planned to formally announce it on Monday evening.
It would then go into effect on Tuesday morning, according to the source.
Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, for its part, has said ceasefire efforts were "still underway."
"Up until this moment, there is no definitive word about a ceasefire with Israel," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zurhi said in a brief statement on Monday.
"Efforts are still underway to reach a deal," he added.
Israel resumed airstrikes across the Gaza Strip last week following the collapse of indirect, Egypt-hosted talks aimed at hammering out a durable ceasefire arrangement.
While Israel accused Hamas of breaking a temporary truce with a rocket barrage, the Palestinian faction accused the self-proclaimed Jewish state of attempting to derail the truce talks in Cairo.
At least 2126 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,860 others injured in relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since hostilities began on July 7.
Over the same period, at least 68 Israelis – 64 soldiers and four civilians – have been killed, according to Israeli figures.
The number of Palestinian fatalities from Israel's current offensive has now surpassed the combined death toll from two previous operations against Gaza, including Israel's "Operation Cast Lead" in 2008/09 in which at least 1500 Palestinians were killed over three weeks.
By Turgut Alp Boyraz
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
