Hamas said on Wednesday that its main proposed amendment to the latest draft of a ceasefire agreement is for Israeli forces to withdraw more than 800 metres from residential areas in Gaza.
The announcement followed Israel’s demand for the release of all 50 hostages held in the Palestinian territory, contradicting the current proposal for a phased release and dimming hopes for a last-ditch truce.
Israel has yet to formally respond to the ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt, which Hamas has agreed to.
A senior official in the Palestinian militant group told The National Hamas thinks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will not agree” to the new draft.
He said the previous terms “proposed withdrawals to a depth less than what the movement demanded, but Hamas insisted on Israeli withdrawal of more than 800 metres from residential areas”.
The official confirmed that Hamas has also accepted that it won't govern Gaza, but insisted that the Palestinian Authority cannot rule the Strip alone.
“Hamas does not object to Gaza being administered by a body of local professionals, and governing the Strip is not a priority for Hamas. But the Palestinian Authority has not engaged positively, and if it seeks to rule Gaza alone, that will not succeed,” he said.
Qatar on Tuesday urged Israel to accept a 60-day truce to avert a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the strip. Hamas accepted the proposal, which would provide for the initial release of 10 hostages.
Local media reports say Israel will give a formal response by Friday.
“What Netanyahu is doing in Gaza is an attempt to humiliate Hamas, to break the movement, and to force it to accept his terms,” said the official, adding that 70 per cent of Gaza is now under Israeli occupation.
Comprehensive agreement
Qatar said the proposal that Hamas has agreed to is “almost identical” to an earlier plan put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Israel had previously agreed to the outline of the Witkoff plan, but withdrew negotiators from Qatar last month and blamed Hamas for the failure to reach a deal. Since then, it has approved plans for a new offensive to seize Gaza city, forcing renewed efforts to stop the war.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the Gaza city occupation plan.
“We received the response, as we said, from Hamas. It was a very positive response,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on Tuesday. “However, we are still, of course, awaiting the Israeli side's response to this proposal.”
He added that while there was no time frame for a response, Israel was looking into the matter and “we hope for a quick and positive response”.
The proposal includes a path to a comprehensive agreement to end the war, Mr Al Ansari said.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Hamas has agreed to lay down and store its weapons under international supervision. It has also agreed to the deployment of an Arab force in Gaza under UN supervision to maintain security.
The sources said Hamas told Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it has dropped its condition for a written US guarantee on negotiations with Israel over a complete withdrawal from Gaza, and for the ceasefire to continue until such an agreement is reached.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that sparked the war, 50 are still in Gaza.
Hamas and other factions killed 1,200 Israelis in the assault on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in its war on Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the enclave's health authorities.
A permanent ceasefire
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he spoke to the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders about the prospects of a ceasefire, and condemned Israel's planned campaign in Gaza City.
"I have just spoken with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt. We share the same conviction: The military offensive in Gaza that Israel is preparing can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war," he wrote on X.
"We believe that only the following course of action can bring this conflict to an end: The establishment of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; the release of all hostages; the large-scale delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza; the disarmament of Hamas and the strengthening of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza," he added.
"To achieve this, together with Egypt, Jordan, and all our regional and international partners, we must: Deploy an international stabilisation mission for Gaza; work towards a political solution that fulfils the aspirations of both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian."
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
if you go
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
MATCH INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
%3Cp%3EEtihad%20Airways%20operates%20seasonal%20flights%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20Nice%20C%C3%B4te%20d'Azur%20Airport.%20Services%20depart%20the%20UAE%20on%20Wednesdays%20and%20Sundays%20with%20outbound%20flights%20stopping%20briefly%20in%20Rome%2C%20return%20flights%20are%20non-stop.%20Fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C315%2C%20flights%20operate%20until%20September%2018%2C%202022.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Radisson%20Blu%20Hotel%20Nice%20offers%20a%20western%20location%20right%20on%20Promenade%20des%20Anglais%20with%20rooms%20overlooking%20the%20Bay%20of%20Angels.%20Stays%20are%20priced%20from%20%E2%82%AC101%20(%24114)%2C%20including%20taxes.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
