Rays of peace are shining over the Middle East this Saturday. Hamas says it has given a “positive response” to mediators on the latest proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal presented by the United States.
The Palestinian armed group said in a statement that it was "seriously ready to immediately enter into a round of negotiations," but did not confirm whether it would accept the terms of the proposal, writes A2 CNN.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC that Hamas accepted the general framework but had demanded several amendments, including a US guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks to end the 20-month war fail.
President Donald Trump said Friday that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza could be reached by next week. Trump added that it was good that Hamas had responded “in a positive spirit” to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal.
On Tuesday, Trump said Israel had agreed to the “necessary conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the sides would work to end the war. He also urged Hamas to accept what he described as the “final proposal,” warning the group that the situation “will not get better — it will only get worse.”
The plan is believed to include the gradual release of 10 Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The proposal also states that sufficient amounts of humanitarian aid would immediately enter Gaza with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Another key amendment demanded by Hamas was related to the withdrawal of Israeli troops, according to the Palestinian official.
The US proposal is believed to include a gradual withdrawal from parts of northern and southern Gaza. But the official said Hamas was insisting that troops return to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive against the group.
(A2 Televizion)
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