DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) 鈥 Hamas has given its initial approval of a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire deal in Gaza, dropping a key demand that Israel commit up front to a complete end to the war, a Hamas official and an Egyptian official said Saturday.
The apparent compromise by the militant group, which controlled Gaza before triggering the war with an Oct. 7 attack on Israel, could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks on ending a devastating nine months of fighting. But all sides cautioned that a deal is still not guaranteed.
Inside Gaza, the Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 50 others in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Children were among the dead and wounded. Israel鈥檚 military said it struck several 鈥渢errorists鈥 operating in the area of the school and had tried to lessen the risk to civilians.
The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, said Washington鈥檚 phased deal would start with a 鈥渇ull and complete鈥 six-week cease-fire during which older, sick and female hostages would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. During those 42 days, Israeli forces would withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow the return of displaced people to their homes in northern Gaza, the officials said.
A senior Hamas official, also speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, later told The Associated Press that female soldiers would be among those released in the first phase.
Over that period, Hamas, Israel and mediators would negotiate the terms of the second phase that could see the release of the remaining male hostages, both civilians and soldiers, the first two officials said. In return, Israel would free additional Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The third phase would include the return of any remaining hostages, including bodies of the dead, and the start of a yearslong reconstruction project.
Hamas still wants written guarantees from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent cease-fire deal once the first phase goes into effect, the two officials said.
The first Hamas official told the AP the group鈥檚 approval came after it received 鈥渧erbal commitments and guarantees鈥 from the mediators that the war won鈥檛 be resumed and that negotiations will continue until a permanent cease-fire is reached.
鈥淣ow we want these guarantees on paper,鈥 that official said.
Months of on-again off-again cease-fire talks have stumbled over Hamas鈥 demand that any deal include a complete end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to pause the fighting but not end it until Israel reaches its goals of destroying Hamas鈥 military and governing capabilities and returning all hostages held by the militant group.
Hamas has expressed concern that Israel will restart the war after the hostages are released. Israeli officials have said they are worried Hamas will draw out the talks and the initial cease-fire indefinitely without releasing all the hostages.
Netanyahu鈥檚 office did not respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate comment from Washington. On Friday, the Israeli prime minister confirmed that the Mossad spy agency's chief had paid a lightning visit to Qatar, a key mediator, but his office said 鈥済aps between the parties鈥 remained.
鈥淔or the first time in many months, we feel hopeful,鈥 a statement by many families of hostages said. 鈥淣etanyahu, we have seen how you repeatedly thwart deals in real time. Don鈥檛 you dare break our hearts again.鈥 Anti-government protesters gathered again Saturday night.
Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas鈥 October attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people 鈥 mostly civilians 鈥 and abducted about 250. Israel says Hamas is still holding about 120 hostages 鈥 about a third of them now thought to be dead.
Since then, the Israeli air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza, according to the territory鈥檚 Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The offensive has caused widespread devastation and a humanitarian crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine, according to international officials.
The cease-fire deal would see around 600 trucks of humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily, with half of them bound for the enclave's hard-hit north, the two officials said. Since Israel's assault on the southernmost city of Rafah, aid supplies entering Gaza have been reduced to a trickle.
鈥淲e want to eat, but from where we can eat? The country is exhausted. The country is destitute. It is not suitable for living," said Walid Hegazi, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. "We鈥檙e sorry for the donkeys because we ate their wheat and barley.鈥
Also Saturday, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said four police officers were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah. The ministry, which oversees civilian police, said the officers were killed during foot patrols. It said eight other officers were wounded. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions.
The low-level conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continued. An Israeli airstrike on a car in the area of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon killed an engineer in Hezbollah鈥檚 air defense unit, the Israeli military said in a statement, describing Meitham Mustafa al-Attar as a 鈥渒ey operative.鈥 Hezbollah confirmed al-Attar鈥檚 death in a statement but did not give information on his position.
In recent weeks, fears have risen that the conflict with its to a full-scale war.
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Magdy reported from Cairo, Egypt. AP writers Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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