Hamas 'awaiting Israel's response' to ceasefire proposal; a senior Hezbollah commander killed

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing two Hamas officials, that the Iran-backed Islamist group is awaiting Israel's response regarding a ceasefire proposal in Gaza. The comments from these Hamas officials come five days after the group claimed to have accepted a key part of a proposed plan by the United States to end the war in Gaza. The aim of the three-phase plan proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden on June 1 of this year is to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of about 120 Israeli hostages with mediation from Qatar and Egypt. Reuters reported, citing another Palestinian official familiar with the ceasefire negotiations, that Israel is negotiating with the Qataris. According to him, the Israelis have discussed Hamas's response with the Qataris and promised to provide their answer in the coming days. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that negotiations would continue this week without providing a specific timeline. On Saturday, Hamas claimed it had set aside one of its key demands for Israel's commitment to a permanent ceasefire before signing a peace agreement. A Hamas official told Reuters that instead of this demand, the group agreed to allow negotiations to lead to a ceasefire after the initial six-week phase. A Palestinian official familiar with peace efforts claimed that the proposal put forth by Hamas, if accepted by Israel, could create a framework for ending the hostilities. Reuters also reported, citing another informed source, that William Burns, the head of the CIA, is set to travel to Qatar soon. Various cities in Israel were the scene of protests on Sunday by citizens demanding the signing of an agreement to return hostages abducted by Hamas. Among the actions taken by the protesters were blocking intersections, striking in front of politicians' homes, and burning tires on the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem highway. At the same time, official reports indicate that clashes between Israel and Hezbollah continue along the northern borders. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that Maytham Mustafa al-Attar, a prominent member of Hezbollah's air defense unit, was killed on Saturday in an Israeli drone strike. The ministry added, 'Al-Attar gained his knowledge during trips to Iran and played a role in transferring military equipment from the Islamic Republic to Hezbollah.' Rocket attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel have caused residents of some cities in the area to seek shelter. Shortly after the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, Hezbollah, as the main proxy arm of the Islamic Republic, began sporadic missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, resulting in nearly 60,000 Israeli citizens being evacuated from areas adjacent to Lebanon. In response, Israel has also carried out deadly attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and Syria, killing many members of the group, including senior commanders. So far, U.S. diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back to the other side of the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, have failed. In Gaza, clashes between Israel and Hamas continue, with health officials from the group claiming that at least 15 people were killed on Sunday due to an Israeli attack on the densely populated strip. The Israeli army also announced that at least 30 armed Palestinian militants were killed in Rafah on Saturday. During the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, over 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, were massacred, and more than 250 others were taken hostage. Nine months after this terrorist attack, a total of 109 hostages have been freed from Hamas captivity, and according to Israeli estimates, 116 other hostages are still in Gaza, with 42 of them having lost their lives. Meanwhile, seven hostages have been rescued by the Israeli army, and the bodies of 19 other hostages have been identified and returned to Israel. Additionally, Hamas still holds two Israeli civilians who entered the Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015. The bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the summer 2014 conflict are also in Hamas's possession. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries.