Hamas studying Paris truce proposals as Israel continues Gaza campaign

Palestinian group yet to comment on deal, but decries international failure to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Hamas is studying a framework proposal put forward by Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt in Paris for a truce and prisoner exchange in Gaza.

The Palestinian group has yet to officially comment on the proposal, which was hammered out several days ago in the French capital following mediated negotiations. US President Joe Biden has suggested a halt in the fighting could come within a week, but for now, the conflict, which has killed nearly 30,000 in the enclave, persists, with combat continuing and much of the 2.3 million population suffering from hunger.

The proposal envisages a pause in hostilities that could stretch for six weeks, Al Jazeera Arabic reports quoting informed sources. That would allow for the release of 40 Israeli captives held by Hamas in exchange for 400 Palestinians currently in Israeli prisons.

“That would include women, children, older men and those who might be suffering from medical conditions. It would involve the repositioning of the Israeli military to allow more people to move freely through the Gaza Strip,” said Al Jazeera’s Willem Marx, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem.

“It would include a cessation of aerial reconnaissance by the Israeli military for up to eight hours a day. That’s something we did see during the last series of prisoner swaps [last November] where drones in particular were moved away from areas where prisoners might be released,” he said, adding that significantly increased flow of aid into Gaza is also part of the deal.