
Israeli official says a Hamas ceasefire proposal is ‘workable'
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on record.
Hamas confirmed in a statement early Thursday that it sent the proposal to mediators.
The offer comes a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation.
Experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and the offensive launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The Hamas response came as top US envoy Steve Witkoff was set for travel to Europe, where is supposed to meet with key leaders from the Middle East to discuss the latest ceasefire proposal and the release of hostages.
Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children.
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It came as political and security officials intensified coordination in an attempt to contain street protests and prevent any activity they feared might threaten stability. Beirut has been gripped by anxiety in the past few days, which has affected normally vibrant evening street activity. On Monday night, dozens of Hezbollah-supporting motorcyclists roamed the streets of the capital, chanting 'long live Hassan Nasrallah,' the former secretary-general of Hezbollah who was assassinated by an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut in September last year. During his speech, Qassem said that 'any discussion about Lebanon's future security must be based on a comprehensive national security strategy, not on timetables aimed at disarming the resistance.' He rejected the demands that Hezbollah disarm, warning that any attempt to impose such action without broad national agreement would fail. 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