Israel Says a Cease-Fire Plan Backed by Hamas Falls Short

  • War cabinet says Israel will continue its operations in Rafah
  • Hamas said it accepted Qatari-Egyptian cease-fire proposal
Palestinian militant group Hamas said it has agreed to a cease-fire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt to halt fighting with Israel in Gaza. Bobby Ghosh reports.Source: Bloomberg
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The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it had agreed to a cease-fire proposal for the Gaza Strip, but Israel’s war cabinet unanimously rejected it as “far from Israel’s necessary demands,” dashing hopes for an immediate pause in the fighting.

Israel vowed to continue “its operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas” but also said it will send a delegation to meet with mediators “to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement.” In a statement later Monday, the Israel Defense Forces announced fresh airstrikes against Hamas targets in the Rafah area.