Israel has indirectly presented Hamas with an outline for a “comprehensive” deal to end the Gaza war that sources dismissed as another time-buying tactic by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
The sources told The National on Sunday the proposal was handed to Hamas on Friday through veteran Israeli peace activist and researcher Gershon Baskin, who took part in the negotiations that secured the 2011 release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after five years of captivity in Gaza.
The sources said the proposal envisaged the release of all hostages held by Hamas – about 48, of whom 20 are believed to be still alive – and for Hamas to lay down its heavy weapons and have them stored under Egyptian supervision.
Other provisions stipulate that Hamas should halt its arms manufacturing, freeze the recruitment of fighters and give up its network of underground tunnels.
It also provides for the exit from Gaza of Hamas leaders along with guarantees that they would not be attacked while living in exile abroad.
However, the sources said the proposal generally lacked details or even a mention of issues such as Israel's withdrawal from Gaza – a Hamas condition for agreeing to a long-term ceasefire – or the number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails to be freed as part of a deal.
Essentially, they said, the proposal requires weeks of negotiations to hammer out details that the two sides can agree on.
“It looks like another time-buying tactic by the Israelis while they press on with their ground assault on Gaza city and control the strip,” said one of the sources. “Israel and the US in reality want nothing short of total surrender by Hamas, coming out of the tunnels with their hands up in the air.”
The latest proposal comes after Hamas last month agreed to a deal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar that provided for a 60-day pause in the war, which enters its third year next month. It also proposed the release of 10 hostages and the remains of 18 others who died in captivity, and the free and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The sources said Hamas was likely to reject the new proposal and insist that the Qatar-Egypt deal should be the basis for any negotiations to end the war.
Israel had not officially responded to the Qatari-Egyptian proposal, which mirrors a plan presented earlier this year by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Instead, Mr Netanyahu said he wanted a comprehensive deal that secures the release of all hostages at once, a proposal that would strip Hamas, already significantly weakened by the war, of its most important bargaining card.
The sources said Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have obtained intelligence on Israeli plans to attack Hamas's leaders in exile and inside Gaza as part of its war goal to wipe out the group, which had already stated its willingness to become a political party and stay out of any postwar administration or reconstruction effort in the war-battered enclave.
News of the Israeli proposal came two days after Mr Trump said the US had “very deep negotiations” with Hamas to free the remaining hostages held in Gaza, but added that some of the 20 captives believed to still be alive may have “recently died”.
“We’re in very deep negotiations with Hamas. We said, ‘Let ’em all out, right now, let ’em all out, and much better things will happen,'” Mr Trump said after being asked by a reporter about the status of Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
The war in Gaza was caused by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attackers killed about 1,200 and took captive another 250. Israel responded with a relentless military campaign that has to date killed more than 64,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The campaign also reduced most of Gaza to ruins and displaced the overwhelming majority of its estimated 2.3 million residents, more than once in many cases.
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
