Hamas and Israel expressed their positions on Wednesday on the eve of talks on Washington's call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
While the militant group - designated a terrorist organization by the US and other powers - has signaled it is open to a deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that "there will be no Hamas" in post-war Gaza.
Neither side has said outright that they accept US President Donald Trump's proposal.
Hamas insisted on its long-standing position that any agreement must bring an end to the war in Gaza.
Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen for it.
The American president is increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to reach an agreement on a ceasefire, a hostage agreement, and an end to the war.
Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war. But Israel says it will not accept an end to the war until Hamas is defeated.
Trump stressed that the agreement could be reached as early as next week.
But Hamas's reaction, which emphasized its demand for an end to the war, raised questions about whether its latest offer could truly halt the fighting.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group is "ready and serious about reaching an agreement."
He stressed that Hamas is "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to a complete end to the war."
A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Wednesday in Cairo with mediators from Egypt and Qatar to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Disagreement over how the war should end
During the nearly 21 months of war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly failed due to disagreements over whether the war should end as part of any agreement.
Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
Israel says it will agree to end the war only if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile — something Hamas refuses to accept.
"I am announcing to you - there will be no Hamas," Netanyahu declared during a speech on Wednesday.
An Israeli official said the latest proposal envisions a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the territory.
The mediators and the United States will provide guarantees for talks to end the war, but Israel is not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others, according to Israeli officials.
The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli war since October 7 has killed over 57,000 Palestinians.
The war has also caused a famine, displaced the entire population of Gaza, and prompted charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice and war crimes at the International Criminal Court.
Israel denies these accusations./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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