Hamas has responded positively to a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Al-Hadath and Barak Ravid. The group stated they have handed over their response to mediators. Meanwhile, 950 humanitarian aid trucks are awaiting collection on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, identified as a primary bottleneck to aid flow, according to Israeli officials. Mediators are scheduled to meet with senior Hamas officials in Qatar tonight to discuss the updated response to the Israeli proposal. According to Amichai Stein, Hamas has backtracked on previous agreements, including demands for all humanitarian aid to enter Gaza exclusively through the United Nations, and has revised positions on the deployment of Israeli forces and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released. A former American security guard for UG Solutions at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, speaking to Israel's Channel 12, alleged that American guards used excessive force on unarmed civilians at aid sites. He described incidents including pepper-spraying, the use of stun grenades, and firing at Palestinians' legs. The former guard stated, "In all my years of service, I’ve never seen such use of force." An Israeli official stated that over 1.8 million metric tonnes of humanitarian aid have been received in Gaza since October 2023, sufficient for 2.1 million people for over 1,500 days, a figure that contrasts with aid in other famine-stricken regions. This official also claimed Hamas executes aid-acceptors and diverts supplies. In a separate incident, IDF, Border Police, and GSS forces arrested Abdel al-Knowers in Nablus yesterday, who had allegedly laid sabotage on buses in Bat Yam and Holon in February. Charges were reportedly found in the apartment where he was apprehended. Separately, on the tunnel road near Jerusalem, 636th Battalion fighters reportedly killed two Palestinians and injured two more who were attempting to throw Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles. No Israeli casualties were reported in this incident. White House Middle East envoy Steve Whitkoff is scheduled to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. This meeting follows a similar one at the White House two weeks prior.
