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Gaza Destruction Likely Helped Push Hamas to Soften Ceasefire Demands
(AP-Washington Post) Jon Gambrell - Several officials in the Middle East and the U.S. believe the level of devastation in Gaza caused by a nine-month Israeli offensive likely has helped push Hamas to soften its demands for a ceasefire agreement. Hamas over the weekend appeared to drop its demand that Israel promise to end the war as part of any ceasefire deal. In recent internal communications seen by AP, messages signed by several senior Hamas figures in Gaza urged the group's exiled political leadership to accept the ceasefire proposal pitched by President Biden. The messages described the heavy losses Hamas has suffered and the dire conditions in the war-ravaged territory. The messages indicate a readiness among top militants to reach a deal quickly, even if Hamas's top official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, may not be in a rush.