GAZA CITY
Palestinian resistance faction Hamas said Monday that efforts to reach a ceasefire between Palestinian groups in the embattled enclave and Israel were "still underway."
"Up until this moment, there is no definitive word about a ceasefire with Israel," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zurhi said in a brief statement. "Efforts are still underway to reach a deal."
Earlier in the day, a Palestinian source close to the talks told Anadolu Agency that Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip had agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a month-long ceasefire with Israel that would hopefully lead to a long-term truce.
"Egypt proposed a one-month ceasefire, with the option to extend it, between the Palestinians and Israel," the source, who preferred anonymity, told Anadolu Agency.
The Palestinian negotiating team at indirect talks in Cairo had, the source added, agreed to the proposal, "without any reservations on the part of any of the Palestinian factions."
The source added that Egyptian mediators were currently awaiting Israeli approval of the initiative, after which they plan to formally announce it on Monday evening.
Israeli media, meanwhile, confirmed that the Israeli government had received an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire but had yet to respond to it.
Israel resumed airstrikes across the Gaza Strip last week following the collapse of indirect, Egypt-hosted talks aimed at hammering out a durable ceasefire deal.
While Israel accused Hamas of breaking a temporary ceasefire with a rocket barrage, the Palestinian faction accused the self-proclaimed Jewish state of attempting to derail the truce talks in Cairo.
At least 2123 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,800 others injured in relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since hostilities began on July 7.
Over the same period, at least 68 Israelis – 64 soldiers and four civilians – have been killed, according to Israeli figures.
The number of Palestinian fatalities from Israel's current offensive has surpassed the combined death toll from two past major Israeli operations against Gaza, including 2008/09's "Operation Cast Lead" in which at least 1500 Palestinians were killed over three weeks.
By Ola Attalah
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en/gaza
