JERUSALEM – Israel and Hamas on Monday accepted an Egyptian cease-fire proposal meant to halt a bruising monthlong war that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives – overwhelmingly Palestinian civilians – raising hopes the bloodiest round of fighting between the bitter enemies could finally be coming to an end.
Still, both sides signaled a rough road ahead, with an Israeli official expressing skepticism given previous failures, and a Palestinian negotiator saying “it’s going to be tough.”
A last-minute burst of violence – including a deadly Palestinian attack in Jerusalem, continued bloodshed in Gaza and the reported execution of a number of suspected collaborators with Israel – served as reminders of the lingering risk of renewed violence.
After weeks of behind-the-scenes diplomacy and a previous truce that collapsed within hours on Friday, Israel and Hamas both announced late Monday they had accepted the proposal for a preliminary 72-hour cease-fire, beginning at 8 a.m. local time today. Egypt was then set to host indirect talks to work out a long-term truce over the next three days.
The war broke out on July 8. Israel expanded the operation on July 17 by sending in ground forces in what it described as a mission to destroy a network of tunnels used to stage attacks.
The war has taken nearly 1,900 Palestinian lives, most of them civilians caught in fighting inside Gaza’s crowded urban landscape, according to Hamas medical officials. Sixty-four Israeli soldiers have also died, as well as two Israeli civilians and a Thai laborer who worked in Israel. The heavy death toll has eclipsed that of previous rounds of fighting in 2009 and 2012.
A delegation of Palestinian officials from various factions, including Hamas, has been negotiating with Egypt in recent days. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group had accepted the plan.
“It’s clear now that the interest of all parties is to have a cease-fire,” said Bassam Salhi, a member of the Palestinian delegation. “It’s going to be tough negotiations because Israel has demands too. We don’t have any guarantees the siege will be removed.”
