Hamas has shown a willingness to start fresh talks about putting the US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan into action. The group confirmed it responded “positively” to the latest truce proposal that Washington introduced earlier this week.
In an official statement, Hamas said, “The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterised by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”
Israeli media also reported that the Israeli government had received this response from Hamas and was now reviewing it.
Talks Come Ahead of Netanyahu’s US Visit
The announcement from Hamas came after internal discussions with other Palestinian factions. It also happened just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to Washington on Monday. There, US President Donald Trump is expected to urge an end to the war, which has lasted for 21 months.
On June 30, Trump confirmed that Israel had already agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, and he called on Hamas to do the same. Hamas took several days to examine the terms of the offer before giving their response.
Islamic Jihad Wants Guarantees from Israel
Islamic Jihad, a close ally of Hamas, has also supported the idea of negotiations. However, it insisted that Israel must offer clear assurances. The group stated that Israel should “guarantee” that there will be “no attacks” once hostages held in Gaza are freed.
Details of the Ceasefire Plan
According to a Palestinian source who spoke to AFP, the terms in the new US proposal are mostly the same as in previous offers.
The source explained that the plan calls for a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would free half of the Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza. In return, Israel would release a group of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
So far, out of the 251 hostages captured by Palestinian fighters in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza. The Israeli military says 27 of them have already died.
Netanyahu Reaffirms Promise to Bring Hostages Back
Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeated his promise to bring home all Israelis still being held by Hamas. “I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,” he said while visiting residents of Nir Oz kibbutz, one of the hardest-hit communities during the October 2023 attacks.
In a video shared by his office, he firmly stated, “We will bring them all back.”
