Hamas: The Ceasefire Proposal Does Not Meet Palestinian Demands

Hamas announced early today that the Israeli proposal it received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators does not meet any of the Palestinian demands. In a statement, it indicated that it "will study the proposal and provide its response to the mediators," describing the Israeli position as "stubborn." A Hamas leader stated, "The Palestinian movement has rejected the Israeli ceasefire proposal that was put forward during the Cairo talks," while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a date for the invasion of Rafah, the last refuge for displaced Palestinians in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas sent delegations to Egypt on Sunday to participate in talks mediated by Doha and Cairo, as well as U.S. CIA Director William Burns.