Egyptian Official: Hamas Rejects Israeli Deal

Facts

• According to an anonymous Egyptian official who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday, Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal for another hostage release deal, which would have likely included a two-month ceasefire. The deal, however, reportedly didn't include a framework to end the war completely, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said won't happen until Hamas is destroyed.¹
• The proposal, delivered to Hamas via Qatari and Egyptian mediation, reportedly posited a multi-phase agreement that exchanged all Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip for the release of a significant amount of Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza's population centers, and increased freedom of movement within the strip.²
• As mediation efforts continue, US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk was in Egypt on Tuesday for 'active” discussions working toward the release of hostages and securing a humanitarian pause in the fighting. McGurk was also set to discuss Israel’s military operations and potential efforts to protect civilians, in addition to continuing to explore the idea of a Saudi normalization with Israel.³
• Meanwhile, in Gaza, the Israeli military said that it had completed its encirclement of Khan Younis in the south of the strip, with reports of intense clashes and a surge of Israeli tanks and troops into areas around the city’s still functioning hospitals. Palestinians attempting to flee the city have reported being trapped.⁴
• The Israeli military reported that 24 of its soldiers were killed in southern Gaza on Monday, making it the deadliest day for Israeli forces since the war began. In one incident, Palestinian militants seemingly fired a rocket-propelled grenade, setting off explosives Israeli troops had rigged in two buildings, killing 21. The total Israeli military death toll since the ground war began in late October now stands at 219.⁵
• Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports that the conflict has killed over 25K people in the Gaza Strip, the majority of whom were women and children. The war has also created a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the strip. The official Israeli death toll on Oct. 7 stands at around 1.2K people (and there are still over 100 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip).⁶

Sources: ¹The Times of Israel (a), ²Axios, ³Middle East Monitor, ⁴New York Times, ⁵The Times of Israel (b) and ⁶Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by The Nation. Israel is losing its war in Gaza. After over three months and 25K dead Palestinians, Israel has failed to release hostages via military operations, to kill Hamas' top leaders, or to create conditions advantageous to ending this long drawn-out conflict. Even then, if Israel did manage to achieve the majority of its goals, it still would be left without a clear plan of action for the day after the war. Destroying a group like Hamas is a fool's errand, and Netanyahu has dug Israel into a hole it will have a tough time climbing out of. Israel should accept a comprehensive ceasefire.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. Though, of course, this war has not been easy, Israel has made steady progress in Gaza, first neutralizing Gaza City before moving on to other population centers like Khan Younis. Israel has substantially degraded Hamas' military capabilities and leadership and even partially degraded elite Hezbollah units stationed along Israel's northern border. Indeed, as Israel's enemies should recognize, Israel's raw military power should not even be up for debate, and the country will fight and negotiate as it sees fit to achieve its goals.