Hamas submits "positive response" to US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal

Times of Oman

a day ago

Gaza: Hamas has announced that it had "submitted a positive response" to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, opening the path toward a deal to halt the conflict after months of failed efforts, CNN reported.
Hamas has "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 group said in a statement.
Israel had previously accepted the US-sponsored framework, which means the two sides are now expected to enter final, detailed negotiations before a ceasefire agreement is officially reached.
Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American interlocutor who has been in direct discussions with Hamas, praised the group's response on Facebook, saying, "We are now much closer to ending this cursed war."
He said Hamas had introduced "amendments it deemed necessary."
"In my view, these amendments will not prevent reaching a ceasefire agreement within the coming week, God willing," he said.
An Israeli source familiar with the matter said earlier on Friday that Israel had expected a positive response from Hamas, with the rewording of a few points in the proposal language. The source said these changes were not expected to derail the ceasefire efforts.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was optimistic that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced its response.
"We have to get it over with," Trump said. "We have to do something about Gaza."
Of the 50 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, the proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased during the ceasefire.
On the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas would release eight living hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Following the release, Israel would withdraw from parts of northern Gaza, and the two sides would begin negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire.
The release of the hostages is to take place without any Hamas ceremonies or fanfare. The remaining hostages would be released on four more dates specified in the proposal.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire intensified following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month. Qatar, a key negotiator, immediately launched a new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to find a "middle ground" based on previous proposals, CNN reported.
The new proposal includes stronger assurances about the US's commitment to keeping Israel at the negotiating table to reach a permanent ceasefire deal, during or potentially after the 60-day truce, according to an Israeli official and source familiar with the negotiations.
It also commits Israel to allowing a surge of aid into Gaza through traditional humanitarian channels rather than through the controversial Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
US President Donald Trump has pushed hard for a ceasefire, saying on Tuesday that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions" to finalize a deal for a 60-day cessation of hostilities. In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Hamas to accept the proposal as well.
"I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said, thanking Qatar and Egypt for their role in advancing the proposal.
Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. As negotiators worked to advance the latest ceasefire proposal, Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza, killing scores across the besieged enclave.
Until now, Israel has refused to agree to a ceasefire deal that includes a comprehensive end to the war, as Netanyahu said the country's goals included destroying Hamas' military capability and ability to govern. But after the conflict with Iran, he has signalled a new willingness to compromise.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said that "many opportunities have opened up" following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home the remaining hostages held in Gaza. It marked the first time in months that the long-time Israeli leader has clearly prioritised the return of the hostages over the defeat of Hamas.
Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington this weekend and meet Trump at the White House on Monday. Before he leaves for the trip, he will convene his full cabinet on Saturday night to discuss the proposal. Even though far-right members of Israel's government have said they will try to torpedo the deal, other political parties have made clear they will throw their support behind a ceasefire.