UPDATE, May 6, 2024 (1:30 p.m. EST):
An Israeli official says that Hamas has accepted a cease-fire proposal that Israel says is too far-reaching.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Hamas has reportedly agreed to a cease-fire brokered by Egypt and Qatar. The announcement comes ahead of an expected Israeli ground assault into the Palestinian city of Rafah.
Rafah residents were already evacuating before the Israeli Air Force dropped leaflets on the city’s eastern areas on Monday morning ahead of the long-feared ground invasion.
The city’s population has swelled to over a million as Palestinians fled other parts of Gaza.
Hamas says the ball is in Israel’s court.
As BBC News reports:
In a statement published on its official website, Hamas says it’s leader Ismail Haniyeh conducted a telephone call with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian intelligence minister, Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamas’s approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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