
A Palestinian woman watches as smoke billows following an Israeli strike south of Gaza City, in the town of al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2024. AFP
"We have received a response from the Palestinian factions regarding the ceasefire proposal, and the security delegation is intensifying its contacts with the various parties," added the source, as reported by Al-Qahera News Channel.
The response prioritizes the interests of the Palestinian people and emphasizes the need for a complete halt to the ongoing aggression on Gaza, a joint statement released by the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said.
The statement expressed the Palestinian factions’ readiness to engage positively in reaching an agreement that ends the war.
Sources told Al Jazeera that the response delivered included ceasefire-related amendments to the proposal.
The US proposal was announced by President Joe Biden late in May and presented as an Israeli new plan.
The proposed three-phase deal includes “an immediate and full” ceasefire in Gaza in the first six-week phase and “upon agreement of the parties and a permanent end to hostilities” in the second phase.
Through these two phases, captives held in Gaza, including the deceased, will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Additionally, Israeli forces will gradually fully withdraw from Gaza by the second phase.
The third phase focuses on Gaza reconstruction while ensuring the return of the remains of any deceased captives.
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have mediated between Israel and Hamas to reach a truce over the past months.
Earlier in June, the three nations jointly called on Hamas and Israel to finalize the agreement embodying the principles outlined by Biden.
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