Hamas hands 'positive' ceasefire response to Qatari mediators, prepared to start negotiations
Hamas handed a "positive" response to the ceasefire and hostage deal proposal to mediators on Friday evening, a Palestinian official familiar with the matter told Reuters.
"We have handed the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, our response to the ceasefire proposal," a Hamas official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The response should help Hamas and Israel "facilitate reaching a deal," the official said. The terrorist organization later added that they "completed its internal consultations with Palestinian factions regarding the mediators' latest proposal to halt the aggression" and that they're "fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations" on the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire deal.
According to Al-Arabiyya, Qatari mediators received a guarantee from the US that the war would not resume after a 60-day truce.
Hamas demanded that Washington agree to be an official guarantor for a permanent end to the war, Al-Arabiyya added.
This comes after Hamas confirmed early that morning that it was discussing the US-Qatar ceasefire proposal with other Palestinian factions.
A Palestinian official of a terrorist group allied with Hamas said concerns remain over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing to Egypt, and clarity over a timetable of Israeli troop withdrawals. An Israeli source also confirmed that Israel received the document submitted by the mediators and that it, as well as Hamas's response to the proposal, are being examined.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is expecting to know whether Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal over the next 24 hours, Reuters reported.
The proposal, presented by Qatar and based on the Witkoff framework, calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies during a 60-day ceasefire. During that period, the sides are expected to hold talks aimed at ending the war.
Within the proposed deal, 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will also be released, Israel's Channel 14 reported.
The proposed deal includes a schedule for the release of 10 live Israeli hostages in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to Israel's Channel 14.
On Thursday, senior Hamas officials met in Turkey to discuss the proposed framework.
In exchange for the hostages, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners in addition to 1,111 Gazans that Israel had arrested after October 7.
Reuters and Maariv Online contributed to this report.
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