
Hamas has delivered what it calls a “positive response” to mediators regarding the latest US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
The Palestinian armed group announced Friday night that it was “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations” but did not confirm acceptance of the specific terms.
A senior Palestinian official informed the BBC that Hamas requested several modifications, including ending a US-backed aid distribution system and obtaining US guarantees that warfare would not resume if negotiations failed.
Israel’s government has not issued a statement. President Donald Trump, who said he had not been briefed on the details, described Hamas’s positive response as “good” and told reporters aboard Air Force One that “there could be a Gaza deal next week.”
The timing appears significant as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House next week, with Trump reportedly eager to announce positive developments.
Trump previously stated Tuesday that Israel had accepted “necessary conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire during which parties would work toward ending the conflict.
The proposed agreement reportedly includes the staged release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities. Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
The proposal also stipulates that sufficient aid quantities would enter Gaza immediately with UN and International Committee of the Red Cross involvement.
According to the Palestinian official, Hamas demands aid distribution exclusively by the UN and its partners, requiring the immediate termination of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) system backed by Israel and the US.
Hamas also seeks modifications regarding Israeli troop withdrawals. While the US proposal includes phased pullouts from parts of Gaza, Hamas wants troops to return to positions held before the March ceasefire collapse when Israel resumed operations.
Additionally, Hamas requests US guarantees that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume even if the ceasefire ends without achieving permanent peace.
The proposal reportedly states that mediators will guarantee serious negotiations begin immediately and can extend the ceasefire if necessary.
Netanyahu has maintained that the war cannot end until all hostages are released and Hamas’s military and governing capabilities are eliminated.
Far-right ministers have voiced opposition to the proposed deal, advocating for intensified Israeli operations and suspended aid deliveries.
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