Hamas appears to be seeking an end to fighting as a wave of ceasefire agreements sweeps the Middle East.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a senior Hamas official told the French news outlet AFP, per CBS News.
Last week, senior Israeli defense officials foreshadowed that Hamas was open to a deal that would reduce the intensity of the conflict in the region. Details of the agreement published by the Times of Israel indicated several stages of de-escalation, starting with a 42-day ceasefire, although various parties denied this after the press got wind of it.
The current Israeli war began when the Jewish state was attacked on October 7, 2023, by Hamas.
The Hamas offensive killed over a thousand Jewish civilians, led to hundreds of captives being taken, and caused countless dollars of damage to infrastructure on both sides.
Iranian proxy group Hezbollah joined its Palestinian-based counterparts after Israel responded to Hamas’s aggression.
Over 13 months, the conflict repeatedly escalated. Israel launched strikes into Lebanon, where specific Hezbollah targets were allegedly based. Video of the attacks obtained by The Dallas Express showed isolated destruction in areas in Beirut.
Days shy of the one-year anniversary of the war’s onset, the Iranians launched a missile barrage on the Jewish State. Other footage obtained by DX depicted Palestinians celebrating as they watched the attack on Israel. The aerial attack included almost 200 missiles falling on Israel, according to its defense officials, per NPR.
The Hamas call for de-escalation comes just one day after Hezbollah and Israel executed a ceasefire. There have been no reported ceasefire violations as of this writing.
The American response has been enthusiastic.
President Joe Biden’s administration has signaled that it intends to expand the peace efforts. “President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, per The Times of India.
“We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel’s security is assured and US interests are secured,” Sullivan added.