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Hamas mentioned it has given a “constructive” response to a US-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, indicating it could enter negotiations that would increase hopes of bringing an finish to 21 months of warfare with Israel.
Nevertheless, a number of Arab media channels additionally reported that the militant group was in search of “minor and formative” amendments to the proposal, leaving it unclear whether or not Hamas’s response could be acceptable to Israel, or to Qatar, Egypt and the US, the three mediating international locations.
“Hamas is totally ready and critical about instantly coming into a brand new spherical of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework,” it mentioned in a press release late on Friday.
The group mentioned it had delivered its constructive response to the newest proposal — which begins with a 60-day ceasefire — by worldwide mediators following its personal inside consultations in addition to with different Palestinian factions and forces.
There was no response from the Israeli authorities throughout the Jewish Sabbath. The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The household of not less than one Israeli hostage demanded an instantaneous cupboard assembly so as to talk about the Hamas response.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to go to Washington on Monday, with US President Donald Trump having made clear his want for a ceasefire. Trump posted earlier this week on his social media web site, Reality Social, that Israel had accepted his proposal, later telling reporters he meant to be “agency” with Netanyahu.
“I hope, for the great of the Center East, that Hamas takes this Deal, as a result of it is not going to get higher — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” the US president warned.
The Israeli navy continued its assault on Gaza, killing greater than 100 individuals on Thursday and Friday, in accordance with native well being officers.
In line with drafts of the proposal seen by the Monetary Occasions and confirmed by two individuals accustomed to the negotiations, Trump would “assure” that the battle could be halted for 60 days. Throughout this era greater than two dozen dwelling and deceased Israeli hostages held by Hamas could be launched over 5 phases.
Hamas holds not less than 20 dwelling hostages, in addition to the our bodies of 30 extra, all taken captive throughout its cross-border raid that sparked the warfare on October 7 2023.
It has demanded assurances that negotiations held throughout any ceasefire should transfer in the direction of a whole truce earlier than it will possibly comply with releasing the entire hostages.
Hamas killed some 1,200 individuals in Israel throughout the October 7 raid, in accordance with Israeli officers. Since then, Israel’s navy offensive has killed greater than 60,000 individuals, most of them girls and youngsters, in accordance with native well being officers, and devastated the enclave.
Through the proposed two-month pause, the Israeli navy — which controls about 65 per cent of the Gaza Strip — would comply with withdraw from sections of northern and southern Gaza, topic to extra “speedy negotiations”, and would additionally enable a pick-up in humanitarian help into the enclave via the UN and different worldwide teams.
As in previous ceasefires, Israel would additionally decide to swapping giant numbers of Palestinian prisoners, many held with out trial in Israeli navy prisons.
Further reporting by Myles McCormick in Washington
