Hamas says it is ready to negotiate truce proposal
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The proposal calls for hostage-for-prisoner swaps and negotiations leading to a permanent end to the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza.
Trump said this week that he had been pressuring Israel and Hamas to make a deal before a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to Washington on Monday.
'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA,' Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday, directing the message at Israel, before warning Hamas 'it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE' if it did not sign on.
Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, said there were 'positive signs' in the efforts to reach a new ceasefire and that Israel was eager for talks to resume 'as soon as possible.'
The primary obstacle to getting a deal between Hamas and Israel has been the permanence of any ceasefire. Hamas has insisted on a lasting end to the war before releasing all remaining hostages. But Netanyahu said that Hamas' military and governing capabilities must be dismantled.
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The war began with a Hamas-led attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. It killed about 1,200 people, according to Israel, and some 250 other people were abducted to Gaza. Israel believes up to 20 living hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel's retaliation has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Almost all of the roughly 2 million Palestinian residents of in Gaza have been displaced at one point during the war, many of them repeatedly, and hunger is widespread.
The Associated Press reported Friday that Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early Friday, while a hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while seeking aid.
The UN human rights office said it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid. Most were killed while trying to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organization, while others were massed waiting for aid trucks connected to the United Nations or other humanitarian organizations, it said.
People briefed on the new proposal have said it calls for the handover of 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others during the 60-day ceasefire in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.
The releases would be staggered over five stages, and Hamas would have to refrain from holding televised handover ceremonies like those it staged during the ceasefire earlier this year. The ceremonies infuriated Israelis, who saw them as humiliating.
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Steve Witkoff, the White House's special envoy brokering the truce talks, had previously advanced a proposal for a 60-day cessation of hostilities that was supposed to lead to a broader deal.
As in the last truce, the new one would require Israel to pull back troops deployed in Gaza. But the details of that pullback were not immediately clear.
The new proposal also states that the United States and the Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt, will ensure that serious negotiations to end the war will take place during the truce.
Netanyahu has resisted ending the war, with far-right members of his fragile coalition threatening to bring down his government if he agreed to such a deal.
While the truce talks were stalled, Netanyahu had been pushing Trump to target Iranian nuclear sites, which the US leader ordered the United States to bomb in June.
Since that 12-day campaign against Iran ended late last month, the prime minister's popularity appears to have risen at home, possibly making him less reliant on the support of his far-right ministers.
But there is a new unknown.
Hamas has a new de facto leader in Gaza, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who Israel says took over the military wing after its forces killed the former Hamas leader, Mohammad Sinwar.
Al-Haddad helped to plan the Oct. 7 attack and is thought to strongly oppose efforts to dislodge Hamas from power.
In an Al Jazeera documentary that aired in late January, he stated his terms, which include Israel withdrawing from Gaza, ending the war, releasing Palestinian prisoners, allowing reconstruction in the enclave, and lifting restrictions on the entry and exit of goods.
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'The leadership of the occupation, supported by America and the West, will have to submit to our just demands,' he said.
Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.
This article originally appeared in
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New York Times
31 minutes ago
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Israeli Ministers Set to Meet on Next Steps Toward Gaza Truce
Israeli government minsters planned to meet on Saturday evening to decide on the next steps in the latest American-backed effort to reach a Gaza cease-fire after Hamas said it was ready for negotiations on the proposal. Late Friday night, Hamas delivered its formal response to the cease-fire framework, which it said was 'characterized as being positive,' and added that it was prepared to start new talks about how to put it into effect. Israeli officials will now have to determine whether to send negotiators to talks with Hamas to flesh out the finer points, with the help of mediators. The two sides refuse to meet face to face, meaning that they are likely to travel to an Arab country where Qatari or Egyptian interlocutors will ferry messages back and forth. No venue has been announced yet. Under the latest proposal, the sides would observe a 60-day truce during which hostages would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and Israeli troops would pull back to agreed lines, according to people familiar with the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. Mediators would use the two-month pause to negotiate an agreement on permanently ending the war. Though both Israel and Hamas appear willing to explore the new plan, they still could stall over the most sensitive sticking points, as has happened before. Hamas has been seeking guarantees that any truce lead to a lasting end to the conflict, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said he does not want to permanently stop the war before ending Hamas's rule over Gaza. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
43 minutes ago
- CNN
A Gaza ceasefire is the closest it has been in months. Here's what we know
US President Donald Trump says he's 'optimistic' a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced that it had 'submitted a positive response' to a proposal for a 60-day truce with Israel. 'We have to get it over with,' Trump said Friday. 'We have to do something about Gaza.' Israel and Hamas have long had conflicting demands that negotiators have been unable to bridge, but with both now agreeing the revised proposal, for the first time in months an agreement seems within reach. The renewed efforts gathered steam following a truce between Iran and Israel but also reflect US pressure and a shift in Israel's war goals. Here's what to know. Since the Israel-Iran ceasefire on June 24, mediators Qatar and Egypt – as well as the United States – have redoubled their calls for a new Gaza truce. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesman told CNN the Israel-Iran agreement had created 'momentum' for the latest talks between Israel and Hamas. CNN speaks to families devastated by the Israeli strike on a waterfront cafe in Gaza City Netanyahu's government has faced mounting international criticism for the suffering its war is inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian deliveries to the enclave in March. It somewhat eased the blockade in May, after a chorus of global experts warned that hundreds of thousands of people could soon starve. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli strikes in recent days. And aid distribution has been marred by violence, with hundreds killed on their way to try to obtain food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial US-backed aid initiative that began operating at the end of May. Pressure is also growing on Netanyahu from within Israel. His government is propped up by far-right figures who want to escalate the fighting in Gaza, but opposition leader Yair Lapid said Wednesday that he would join the coalition government to make a hostage deal possible. Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of the country wants a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means an end to the war. In addition to the aim of bringing the hostages home, Netanyahu has not wavered from his more maximalist aims: disarmament of Gaza and the destruction of Hamas' military capabilities and governance abilities. But last weekend, the prime minister made a rhetorical shift in laying out Israel's goals – for the first time prioritizing the return of hostages ahead of what he once called the 'supreme objective' of defeating Hamas. Netanyahu said 'many opportunities have opened up' following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home everyone still held captive by Hamas. 'Firstly, to rescue the hostages,' he said. 'Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.' The comments were welcomed by families of hostages held in Gaza, who have criticized him for not clearly placing releasing their Ioved ones as Israel's primary goal. Only a small number of hostages have been rescued in military operations rather than freed under truces. The Israeli military this week recommended pursuing a diplomatic path in Gaza after nearly two years of fighting and the elimination of much of Hamas' senior leadership. On Tuesday, a military official told CNN that Israel has not fully achieved all of its war goals, but as Hamas' forces have shrunk and gone into hiding, it has become more difficult to effectively target what remains of the militant group. 'It's harder now to achieve tactical goals,' the official said. Hamas announced on Friday that it 'submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework.' The militant group has three main demands: a permanent end to the fighting, for humanitarian assistance to be carried out by the United Nations, and for Israel to retreat to the positions it held on March 2 this year, before it renewed its offensive and occupied the northern part of the Strip. A senior Hamas official told CNN in late May that the group is 'ready to return the hostages in one day – just we want a guarantee that war will not come again after that.' The hostages are Hamas' key leverage in negotiations, and the militant group has refused to agree to a release without a path to end the conflict. In response to the earlier Trump administration-backed ceasefire proposal in May, Hamas requested US assurances that permanent ceasefire negotiations will continue and that fighting will not resume after the 60-day pause. Whether the ceasefire will be temporary or a pathway to a permanent truce is the biggest sticking point between the warring parties. While Israel wants to eradicate Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks, the group has shown little willingness to relinquish its political and military power in Gaza. Officials in the group have given contradictory statements as to Hamas' role in a post-war Gaza. The group's spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, has said that the group is not 'clinging to power' and does not have to be part of arrangements 'in the next phase.' While the fine detail of the proposal is yet to be released it is clear that the revised plan is an attempt to bridge some of the differences between Israel and Hamas. A source familiar with the negotiations said that the timeline of the latest proposal calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages spread out over the full 60-day period. Of the 50 hostages still in Gaza, at least 20 of them are believed to be alive, according to the Israeli government. Similiar to previous ceasefires, on the first day of the truce, Hamas would release eight living hostages. In exchange, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and withdraw its forces from pre-agreed locations in northern Gaza. Israel and Hamas would also immediately enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire once the initial truce goes into effect, the source said. Under the deal, hostages will be released without ceremonies or fanfare at Israel's request – unlike during the last truce, when Hamas staged public propaganda events around hostage transfers that sparked outrage in Israel. Humanitarian aid will immediately begin to flow into Gaza at the start of the ceasefire, including from the United Nations and from other aid organizations, similar to the previous ceasefire which began on January 19. This leaves the fate of the US-backed GHF and its role in Gaza unclear. The US and the mediators have provided stronger assurances about reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza as part of the updated proposal, an Israeli official told CNN, something that in principle should address one of Hamas' key concerns. The official did not provide the specific language in the document, but said the wording is stronger than previous assurances. Although both sides have accepted the proposal more talks must take place before a ceasefire begins. In these proximity talks, likely to take place in Doha or Cairo, negotiators shuttle back and forth between the two sides to hammer out the final details of the agreement. One of the key issues to resolve during proximity talks will be the timeline and location of the withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire, according to the source. In the 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas, ceasefires have been in place for a total of only nine weeks. More than 57,000 people, of which more than 17,000 are children, have been killed in Gaza during the fighting, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The first ceasefire came into effect in November 2023, but lasted only a week. In that time, 105 hostages were released from Gaza, in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners. A second ceasefire was not struck until January 2025, shortly before Trump's return to the White House. In just over 8 weeks – the first 'phase' of the ceasefire – Hamas freed 33 hostages, with Israel releasing around 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli freed. Under the planned second stage, Israel was supposed to agree to a permanent ceasefire. But Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, shattering the ceasefire and derailing the talks, saying it did so to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
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US President Donald Trump says he's 'optimistic' a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced that it had 'submitted a positive response' to a proposal for a 60-day truce with Israel. 'We have to get it over with,' Trump said Friday. 'We have to do something about Gaza.' Israel and Hamas have long had conflicting demands that negotiators have been unable to bridge, but with both now agreeing the revised proposal, for the first time in months an agreement seems within reach. The renewed efforts gathered steam following a truce between Iran and Israel but also reflect US pressure and a shift in Israel's war goals. Here's what to know. Since the Israel-Iran ceasefire on June 24, mediators Qatar and Egypt – as well as the United States – have redoubled their calls for a new Gaza truce. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesman told CNN the Israel-Iran agreement had created 'momentum' for the latest talks between Israel and Hamas. CNN speaks to families devastated by the Israeli strike on a waterfront cafe in Gaza City Netanyahu's government has faced mounting international criticism for the suffering its war is inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian deliveries to the enclave in March. It somewhat eased the blockade in May, after a chorus of global experts warned that hundreds of thousands of people could soon starve. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli strikes in recent days. And aid distribution has been marred by violence, with hundreds killed on their way to try to obtain food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial US-backed aid initiative that began operating at the end of May. Pressure is also growing on Netanyahu from within Israel. His government is propped up by far-right figures who want to escalate the fighting in Gaza, but opposition leader Yair Lapid said Wednesday that he would join the coalition government to make a hostage deal possible. Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of the country wants a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means an end to the war. In addition to the aim of bringing the hostages home, Netanyahu has not wavered from his more maximalist aims: disarmament of Gaza and the destruction of Hamas' military capabilities and governance abilities. But last weekend, the prime minister made a rhetorical shift in laying out Israel's goals – for the first time prioritizing the return of hostages ahead of what he once called the 'supreme objective' of defeating Hamas. Netanyahu said 'many opportunities have opened up' following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home everyone still held captive by Hamas. 'Firstly, to rescue the hostages,' he said. 'Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.' The comments were welcomed by families of hostages held in Gaza, who have criticized him for not clearly placing releasing their Ioved ones as Israel's primary goal. Only a small number of hostages have been rescued in military operations rather than freed under truces. The Israeli military this week recommended pursuing a diplomatic path in Gaza after nearly two years of fighting and the elimination of much of Hamas' senior leadership. On Tuesday, a military official told CNN that Israel has not fully achieved all of its war goals, but as Hamas' forces have shrunk and gone into hiding, it has become more difficult to effectively target what remains of the militant group. 'It's harder now to achieve tactical goals,' the official said. Hamas announced on Friday that it 'submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework.' The militant group has three main demands: a permanent end to the fighting, for humanitarian assistance to be carried out by the United Nations, and for Israel to retreat to the positions it held on March 2 this year, before it renewed its offensive and occupied the northern part of the Strip. A senior Hamas official told CNN in late May that the group is 'ready to return the hostages in one day – just we want a guarantee that war will not come again after that.' The hostages are Hamas' key leverage in negotiations, and the militant group has refused to agree to a release without a path to end the conflict. In response to the earlier Trump administration-backed ceasefire proposal in May, Hamas requested US assurances that permanent ceasefire negotiations will continue and that fighting will not resume after the 60-day pause. Whether the ceasefire will be temporary or a pathway to a permanent truce is the biggest sticking point between the warring parties. While Israel wants to eradicate Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks, the group has shown little willingness to relinquish its political and military power in Gaza. Officials in the group have given contradictory statements as to Hamas' role in a post-war Gaza. The group's spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, has said that the group is not 'clinging to power' and does not have to be part of arrangements 'in the next phase.' While the fine detail of the proposal is yet to be released it is clear that the revised plan is an attempt to bridge some of the differences between Israel and Hamas. A source familiar with the negotiations said that the timeline of the latest proposal calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages spread out over the full 60-day period. Of the 50 hostages still in Gaza, at least 20 of them are believed to be alive, according to the Israeli government. Similiar to previous ceasefires, on the first day of the truce, Hamas would release eight living hostages. In exchange, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and withdraw its forces from pre-agreed locations in northern Gaza. Israel and Hamas would also immediately enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire once the initial truce goes into effect, the source said. Under the deal, hostages will be released without ceremonies or fanfare at Israel's request – unlike during the last truce, when Hamas staged public propaganda events around hostage transfers that sparked outrage in Israel. Humanitarian aid will immediately begin to flow into Gaza at the start of the ceasefire, including from the United Nations and from other aid organizations, similar to the previous ceasefire which began on January 19. This leaves the fate of the US-backed GHF and its role in Gaza unclear. The US and the mediators have provided stronger assurances about reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza as part of the updated proposal, an Israeli official told CNN, something that in principle should address one of Hamas' key concerns. The official did not provide the specific language in the document, but said the wording is stronger than previous assurances. Although both sides have accepted the proposal more talks must take place before a ceasefire begins. In these proximity talks, likely to take place in Doha or Cairo, negotiators shuttle back and forth between the two sides to hammer out the final details of the agreement. One of the key issues to resolve during proximity talks will be the timeline and location of the withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire, according to the source. In the 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas, ceasefires have been in place for a total of only nine weeks. More than 57,000 people, of which more than 17,000 are children, have been killed in Gaza during the fighting, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The first ceasefire came into effect in November 2023, but lasted only a week. In that time, 105 hostages were released from Gaza, in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners. A second ceasefire was not struck until January 2025, shortly before Trump's return to the White House. In just over 8 weeks – the first 'phase' of the ceasefire – Hamas freed 33 hostages, with Israel releasing around 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli freed. Under the planned second stage, Israel was supposed to agree to a permanent ceasefire. But Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, shattering the ceasefire and derailing the talks, saying it did so to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
