Hamas has rejected Israel’s most recent proposal laying out the scope of the Israeli military’s partial retreat from Gaza during the proposed 60-day ceasefire, according to a Palestinian source who spoke with The Times of Israel.
Under diplomatic pressure from the United States, Israel revised its original maps and presented a new version earlier this week. The updates focused on scaling back the IDF’s deployment, particularly around the Morag Corridor, a zone near the location where Israel plans to construct a disputed “humanitarian city.”
Despite hopes among mediators that the revised maps might resolve a major point of contention, Hamas has responded negatively. According to the Palestinian official, the group opposes Israel’s ongoing insistence on preserving a large buffer zone in the Gaza Strip.
The revised proposal still includes a provision for the IDF to retain control over approximately one-third of Gaza throughout the ceasefire period.
Even so, one negotiator familiar with the talks said that the two sides remain close enough to potentially finalize an agreement within a matter of days — countering the assessment made by a senior Israeli official who had told reporters in Washington that any deal was still at least a week or two away.
{Matzav.com Israel}