Hamas accepts 'extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous' ceasefire proposal. Israel intensifies Rafah bombing anyway

Here's the full text of the ceasefire and exchange proposal that Hamas agreed to

The last few days were all about Israel’s proposal for a ceasefire deal with Hamas and how the Zionist entity premised its impending invasion of Rafah on the Palestinian resistance’s acceptance of its offer. The story went that Benjamin Netanyahu will not invade Rafah if Hamas accepted the Israeli deal.

America’s top diplomat Antony Blinken — keeping with the inglorious tradition of US dealings with Palestine — described the Israeli offer as “extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel” and laid the onus squarely on Hamas to accept it and halt the Gaza genocide. “Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel,” Blinken said late last month. “And in this moment the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.”

Blinken has had his wish. Hamas studied the offer put forward by Qatar and Egypt — two of the mediating parties — and agreed to it on May 7.

However, it turned out that it wasn’t Hamas that was standing between the way of its people and ceasefire. It was the Israelis. The Zionist regime claimed that its original ceasefire proposal was “softened” by Qatar and Egypt, and started raining down terror on Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza that now houses over 1.5 million mostly-displaced Gazans, including over half a million children, and added yet more fatalities to its tally of over 40,000 Palestinians exterminated so far during its seven-month long genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported eight deaths, including five in the bombing of a house in the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood in the west of Rafah, soon after the Israeli campaign in the area intensified following Hamas’s acceptance of the ceasefire deal.

Some scenes from the intense bombing of Rafah:

It is worth noting that while the Israelis have kept the sword of a ground invasion of Rafah hanging, they have been bombarding it from the skies incessantly. The Zionists had already laid waste to as much as 40 percent of the southern city while threatening to send ground troops in the area.

And now a ground invasion seems imminent:

The ceasefire deal

The major contours of the Palestinian resistance’s demands have remained consistent since the beginning of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. The Palestinians have been open to a prisoner exchange deal since October 7 — the very purpose of their resistance operation was to get Israeli prisoners of war and exchange them for the Palestinians suffering in Zionist dungeons. But the Israelis used the resistance operation as a pretext to annihilate Gaza once and for all.

During the negotiations, Hamas has remained steadfast in its demand for a permanent ceasefire, prisoner exchange deal, withdrawal of Zionist troops from Gaza, access to aid for Gazans, and the reconstruction of the enclave.

The deal that Hamas has agreed to is consistent with their demands.

Here’s the full Arabic text of the ceasefire and exchange deal that Hamas agreed to. English translation by Resistance News Network on Telegram:

Basic principles for an agreement between the "israeli" side and the Palestinian side in Gaza on the exchange of detainees and prisoners between the two parties and the return to sustainable calm.

The framework agreement aims to release all "israeli" detainees in Gaza, both civilians and soldiers, whether alive or otherwise, from all periods and times in exchange for a number of prisoners in "israeli" prisons to be agreed upon, and the return to sustainable calm, achieving a permanent ceasefire, and the withdrawal of "israeli" forces from Gaza, and reconstruction.

The framework agreement consists of 3 interconnected and interrelated phases, as follows:

Phase One (42 days):

1- Temporary cessation of mutual military operations between the two parties, and withdrawal of "israeli" forces eastward and away from densely populated areas to an area along the border in all areas of the Gaza Strip including Wadi Gaza - ("Netzarim" axis and Kuwait roundabout) as shown below.

2- Suspension of military and reconnaissance flights in the Gaza Strip for ten hours a day, and for 12 hours on the days of releasing detainees and prisoners.

3- Return of displaced persons to their residential areas and withdrawal from Wadi Gaza ("Netzarim" axis and Kuwait roundabout):

- On the third day (after releasing 3 detainees) the "israeli" forces completely withdraw from Rashid Street east to Salah Al-Din Street, dismantle military sites and installations in this area completely, and begin the return of displaced persons to their residential areas (without carrying weapons during their return), and freedom of movement for residents in all areas of the Strip, and entry of humanitarian aid from Rashid Street from day one without obstacles.

- On day 22 (after releasing half of the living detainees including female soldiers) "israeli" forces withdraw from the central sector (especially the axes of "Netzarim," Al-Shuhada, and Kuwait roundabout) east of Salah Al-Din Road to an area close to the border, dismantle all military sites and installations completely, and continue the return of displaced persons to their homes in the northern Strip, and freedom of movement for residents in all areas of the Strip.

- From day one, intensive and sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid, relief materials, and fuel (600 trucks daily including 50 fuel trucks, 300 for the north) are introduced, including the fuel necessary to operate the power station, trade, and equipment needed to remove rubble, and rehabilitate and operate hospitals, health centers, and bakeries in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and continue this in all stages of the agreement.

4- Exchange of detainees and prisoners between the two parties:

- During the first phase, Hamas releases 33 "israeli" detainees (alive or bodies) of women (civilians and soldiers) and children (under 19 years of age non-soldiers) and the elderly (over 50 years old) and sick and wounded civilians, in exchange for a number of prisoners in "israeli" prisons and detention camps, as follows:

- Hamas releases all living "israeli" civilian women and children (under 19 years of age non-soldiers), in return "israel" releases 30 children and women for each "israeli" released, based on lists provided by Hamas prioritized by earliest arrest.

- Hamas releases all living elderly (over 50 years old) and sick and wounded "israeli" civilians, in return "israel" releases 30 prisoners of the elderly (over 50 years old) and sick in exchange for each "israeli" released, based on lists provided by Hamas prioritized by earliest arrest.

- Hamas releases all living female "israeli" soldiers, in return "israel" releases 50 prisoners from its prisons for each "israeli" soldiers released (30 life sentences, 20 other sentences), based on lists provided by Hamas.

5- Scheduling the exchange of detainees and prisoners between the parties in the first phase:

- Hamas releases 3 "israeli" detainees on the third day of the agreement and then releases 3 more detainees every seven days starting with women where possible (civilians and soldiers). In the sixth week, Hamas releases all remaining civilian detainees included in this phase, in return "israel" releases the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners from "israeli" prisons, according to the lists that will be provided by Hamas.

- By the seventh day (where possible) Hamas will provide information on the number of living "israeli" detainees to be released in this phase.

- On day 22, the "israeli" side releases all prisoners of the Shalit deal who were re-arrested.

- If the number of living "israeli" detainees intended for release does not reach 33, the number will be completed from the bodies from the same categories for this phase, in return, "israel" releases all those arrested from Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023, of women and children (under 19 years old) to be done in the fifth week of this phase.

- The exchange process is linked to compliance with the terms of the agreement, including stopping mutual military operations, withdrawal of forces, return of displaced persons, and entry of humanitarian aid.

6- Completing the legal procedures necessary to ensure that released Palestinian prisoners are not arrested based on the same charges they were previously arrested for.

7- The milestones of the first phase outlined above do not form the basis for negotiating the milestones of the second phase.

8- Lifting measures and penalties that were taken against prisoners and detainees in "israeli" prisons and detention camps after October 7, 2023, and improving their conditions, including those arrested after this date.

9- By no later than day 16 of the first phase, indirect negotiations between the parties begin regarding the details of the second phase of this agreement concerning the keys to exchanging prisoners and detainees from both parties (soldiers and remaining men), to be completed and agreed upon before the end of the fifth week of this phase.

10- The United Nations and its agencies, including UNRWA and other international organizations, continue their work in providing humanitarian services in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and this continues in all stages of the agreement.

11- Starting the rehabilitation of infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage, communications, and roads) in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and introducing necessary civil defense equipment, removing rubble and debris, and this continues in all stages of the agreement.

12- Facilitating the introduction of supplies and requirements necessary to accommodate and house displaced persons who lost their homes during the war (at least 60,000 temporary houses - caravans - and 200,000 tents).

13- From day one of this phase, a agreed number (no less than 50) of wounded military personnel are allowed to travel through the Rafah crossing for medical treatment, increasing the number of sick and wounded through the Rafah crossing and lifting restrictions on travelers and the return of goods and trade without restrictions.

14- Starting the arrangements and plans necessary for the comprehensive reconstruction process of houses, civilian facilities, and civil infrastructure that were destroyed due to the war and compensating the affected under the supervision of several countries and organizations including Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.

15- All measures in this phase including the temporary cessation of mutual military operations, relief and shelter, withdrawal of forces, etc., shall continue in the second phase until the announcement of sustainable calm (cessation of military and hostile operations).

Phase Two (42 days):

Announcement of the return to sustainable calm (cessation of military and hostile operations) and its implementation before starting the exchange of detainees and prisoners between the parties - all remaining "israeli" men in Gaza (civilians and soldiers) - in exchange for a number agreed upon of prisoners in "israeli" prisons and detainees in "israeli" detention camps, and complete withdrawal of "israeli" forces from Gaza Strip.

Phase Three (42 days):

1- Exchange of bodies and remains of the deceased on both sides after locating and identifying them.

2- Start implementing a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip for a period of 3 to 5 years including houses, civilian facilities, and infrastructure, and compensating all affected under the supervision of several countries and organizations including Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.

3- Ending the complete siege on the Gaza Strip.

Guarantors of the agreement:

Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and the United Nations

May 5, 2024

To anyone familiar with the Israeli dealings with Palestinians, this reneging on their own promise by the Zionists wouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s the only way the Israelis ever deal. Their promises to the Palestinians since the very “founding” of their illegitimate state have been a chimera and nothing more than weasel words — just like the two-state solution hoax, and the persistent, pernicious lie that Palestinians have rejected many an agreement for peaceful co-existence with their occupiers that the Zionists and their apologists like to parrot at every opportunity.

The genocidal Israelis have been salivating over the prospect of a full-scale assault on Rafah ever since their genocidal campaign in Gaza began. With the absence of any kind of external force to prevent them from indulging in this barbarity, the criminal Zionist enterprise was always going to go ahead with it, irrespective of Hamas’s acceptance of a ceasefire deal or not.

As has been the case in their past when dealing with an immoral, unethical oppressor hellbent on their extinction, Palestinians can only count on the resistance for their liberation.

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