Hamas says it has agreed to ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar

from CNN

Hamas says it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza.

In a statement Monday, Hamas said the head of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, told the Qatari prime minister and Egyptian intelligence minister that the militant group had accepted their proposal.

The Israeli government is now reviewing the Hamas response, CNN has learned. The Israeli prime minister’s office has declined to comment at this stage.

It’s unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the most recent ceasefire proposal, as outlined last week, or a revised version of it.

The most recent framework, which Israel helped craft but has not fully agreed to, calls for the release of between 20 and 33 hostages over several weeks in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

After the initial exchange, according to that framework, there would follow what sources describe as the “restoration of sustainable calm” during which the remaining hostages, captive Israeli soldiers and the bodies of hostages would be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.

A diplomatic source familiar with the talks told CNN that after a day-long meeting in Doha, Qatar’s capital, between CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, mediators convinced Hamas to accept a three-part deal.

“The bill is now firmly in (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu’s court,” the source said...

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