Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire proposal as Israel prepares for talks in Doha
According to Israel's Channel 12, an anonymous source confirmed that mediators conveyed Hamas' 'positive reaction' to the latest plan aimed at halting the war in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The source added that an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Doha soon to begin negotiations on implementing the proposal, though no official date has been set.
'We have completed our internal consultations with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the mediators' latest proposal to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza,' Hamas said in an official statement.
Citing diplomatic sources, Channel 12 reported that negotiations in the Qatari capital would likely last no more than a day and a half.
Meanwhile, Egypt has launched renewed diplomatic efforts to help finalize an agreement, with Al-Qahera el-Ekhbariya reporting that Cairo is holding intensive contacts with various parties to resume indirect talks and reach a final, mutually agreed formula.
According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN, Hamas has reiterated three core demands: the return to a previous aid distribution mechanism, an extension of the initial 60-day ceasefire period, and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
The withdrawal demand is expected to be a major obstacle, with Israeli daily Israel Hayom noting that Tel Aviv is unwilling to fully evacuate the Morag Axis, a military corridor separating Rafah from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
US President Donald Trump may announce a breakthrough in the negotiations during a planned meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next Monday, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing unnamed officials.
Though Hamas has not disclosed the full details of the latest proposal, Israeli and American media suggest that the plan includes the phased release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 18 others, in exchange for a significant release of Palestinian detainees and a gradual Israeli military pullback from specified areas inside Gaza.
The issue remains politically charged in Israel, where top officials continue to demand the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its leadership.
Meanwhile, Palestinian and Israeli rights groups have condemned the conditions faced by more than 10,400 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, citing torture, starvation, and medical neglect.
Despite mounting international pressure, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has continued unabated since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. More than 57,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities.
The International Criminal Court last November issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its conduct in the war. — Agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran's Supreme Leader Makes First Public Appearance Since Iran-Israel War Started
Iran' s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday made his first public appearance since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura. Khamenei's absence during the war suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader, who has final say on all state matters. State TV in Iran showed him waving and nodding to the chanting crowd, which rose to its feet as he entered and sat at a mosque next to his office and residence in the capital, Tehran. There was no immediate report on any public statement made. Iranian officials such as the Parliament speaker were present. Such events are always held under heavy security. The 86-year-old Khamenei had spent the war in a bunker as threats to his life escalated. After the US inserted itself into the war by bombing three key nuclear sites in Iran, US President Donald Trump sent warnings via social media to Khamenei that the US knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, 'at least for now.' On June 26, shortly after a ceasefire began, Khamenei made his first public statement in days, saying in a prerecorded statement that Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a US air base in Qatar, and warning against further attacks by the US or Israel on Iran. Trump replied, in remarks to reporters and on social media: 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell.' Iran has acknowledged the deaths of more than 900 people in the war, as well as thousands of injured. It also has confirmed serious damage to its nuclear facilities, and has denied access to them for inspectors with the UN nuclear watchdog. Iran's president on Wednesday ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, further limiting inspectors' ability to track a program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. Israel launched the war fearing that Iran was trying to develop atomic weapons. It remains unclear just how badly damaged the nuclear facilities are, whether any enriched uranium or centrifuges had been moved before the attacks, and whether Tehran still would be willing to continue negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program. Israel also targeted defense systems, high-ranking military officials and atomic scientists. In retaliation, Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of them intercepted, killing 28 people and causing damage in many areas.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Musk Says ‘America Party' Is Formed in US
A day after asking his followers on X whether a new US political party should be created, Elon Musk said on Saturday that the "America Party is formed." "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!" he said in a post on X. "Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom." The announcement from Musk comes after President Donald Trump signed a tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday, which the billionaire chief executive officer of Tesla fiercely opposed. Musk spent hundreds of millions on Trump's re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration aimed at slashing government spending, but the two have since fallen out over disagreements about the bill. Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Musk's companies receive from the federal government. Musk said previously that he would start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill. Republicans have expressed concern that Musk's on-again, off-again feud with Trump could hurt their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the almost 21-month war. Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a 'positive spirit,' a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed 'to the necessary conditions to finalize' a 60-day truce. The Israeli negotiation delegation will fly to Qatar on Sunday, the Israeli official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters. But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment on Trump's announcement, and in their public statements Hamas and Israel remain far apart. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss. Israeli media said on Friday that Israel had received and was reviewing Hamas' response to the ceasefire proposal. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed over 57,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, displaced Gaza's entire population internally and prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes. Israel denies the accusations.
