Hamas has not yet responded to the framework proposal for a truce and prisoner exchange put forward by Israel, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in Paris. However, the Palestinian group has criticized the international community for failing to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
According to reports, the proposal includes a cessation of aerial reconnaissance by the Israeli military for up to eight hours a day, increased aid flow into Gaza, repairs to Gaza hospitals and bakeries, and the gradual return of displaced Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip. The agreement also involves the repositioning of Israeli forces away from densely populated areas in the enclave.
Israeli and Hamas delegations are currently engaged in separate negotiations in Doha, Qatar, with hopes to reach a deal before the start of Ramadan on March 10. US President Joe Biden has suggested a halt in the fighting could come within a week but Hamas sources reportedly consider his comments premature and note there are still significant gaps to bridge.
The need for accelerated humanitarian aid in Gaza is becoming increasingly urgent as warnings of hunger rise. Gaza currently receives only about 85 aid trucks per day despite UN warnings of catastrophic consequences. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at a possible ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, even if a truce agreement is reached.
The US has introduced an alternative resolution at the UN in support of efforts to achieve a temporary ceasefire. This comes after the US vetoed a UNSC resolution proposed by Algeria last week, with concerns that it could interfere with ongoing truce talks.