Hamas Rejects One-Month Ceasefire Deal in Exchange for Hostages

Hamas Rejects One-Month Ceasefire Deal in Exchange for Hostages

The Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas rejected the latest Israeli proposal for a temporary ceasefire in exchange for remaining hostages, the Israeli media reported Thursday. “Hamas has rejected the latest hostage release deal, which would exchange hostages for a pause in fighting in Gaza for one month,” the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Hebrew language media.

The Iran-backed terrorist group turned down the ceasefire offer exactly two weeks after Israeli troops eliminated its leader, Yahya Sinwar, in a firefight in southern Gaza. Hamas has been holding 101 Israeli hostages, including women and children, since October 7, 2023, in its captivity — the majority of them believed to be murdered by the Gaza terrorists.

The Times of Israel reported Hamas’s renewed rejection of a ceasefire deal:

Hamas on Thursday rejected any proposal for a temporary halt to more than a year of fighting in Gaza and reiterated its insistence on a lasting ceasefire, as American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators tried to coax the Palestinian terror group back to the negotiating table.

“The idea of a temporary pause in the war, only to resume aggression later, is something we have already expressed our position on. Hamas supports a permanent end to the war, not a temporary one,” senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP.

Mediators seeking to broker a Gaza ceasefire were expected to present Hamas with a proposal for a truce of less than a month, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday.

The proposal was discussed during meetings in Doha between Mossad head David Barnea, CIA Director Bill Burns, and Qatar’s prime minister, which concluded on Monday, the source said on condition of anonymity because of the talks’ sensitivity.

The source echoed reports in Hebrew media that the latest proposal involves exchanging several hostages kidnapped during Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, massacre for Palestinian security prisoners and increasing aid to Gaza.

The Gaza-based jihadist group still holds parts of its southern Gaza stronghold of Rafah and has been trying to regroup its terrorist forces in the Jabalia area in the north.

The Israeli “troops continue operational activity in the area of Jabaliya in northern Gaza,” the military said in a statement Wednesday. “Over the past day, the troops eliminated dozens of terrorists during aerial strikes and in close-quarters encounters. In southern and central Gaza, the troops continue operational activity against terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the area.”

IDF hits Hezbollah weapons depot in Syria

Israeli fighter jets destroyed a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah’s terrorist Radwan Force in Syria, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed Thursday afternoon.

“A short while ago, following IDF intelligence, the IAF struck weapons storage facilities and command centers used by Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces and its Munitions Unit in the area of Al-Qusayr, Syria,” the Israeli military disclosed.

“Hezbollah’s Munitions Unit is responsible for storing weapons inside Lebanon and has recently expanded its activities into the town of Al-Qusayr, near the Syrian-Lebanese border. With this, Hezbollah is establishing logistical infrastructure to facilitate the transfer of weapons from Syria into Lebanon via border crossings,” the IDF said.

The strike was part of Israel’s efforts to disrupt Iran’s supply of weapons to Lebanon-based Hezbollah through neighboring Syria. “In recent months, the IDF has been carrying out strikes to reduce the transfer of weapons from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon,” the military added.

Russia and Iran set to sign strategic, military pact

Russia and Iran are set to sign a ‘comprehensive’ military and strategic pact by the end of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. Iran already has a similar agreement with China, which reportedly gives China access to Iranian oil resources and military bases.

Iran has deepened military ties with Russia under President Joe Biden’s watch, with Tehran supplying Moscow with attack drones and other weaponry amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Reuters reported:

A treaty that Russia and Iran intend to sign shortly will include closer defence cooperation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

Military ties between the two countries are a source of deep concern to the West as Russia wages war in Ukraine while Iran and Israel have exchanged missile and air strikes in the Middle East.

“The treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared will become a serious factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations,” Lavrov told state television.

He said the agreement was being prepared for signing “in the near future”. Russia has said it expects Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to visit Moscow before the end of the year.

“It will confirm the parties’ desire for closer cooperation in the field of defence and interaction in the interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels,” Lavrov said. He did not specify what form the defence ties would take.

Repot: Iran preparing major strike on Israel from Iraq

Iran is planning to launch a major strike on Israel using Iraqi territory, the news website Axios reported Thursday.

“Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election, two Israeli sources,” told U.S. news website.

“The sources said Israeli intelligence suggests the attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles,” the Axios added.

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