According to Reuters, Hamas has responded positively to the U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel, in exchange for the release of hostages. A Palestinian official confirmed that Hamas submitted its response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, describing it as ‘positive and likely to facilitate an agreement.’ The proposed truce would see Hamas release half of the remaining Israeli hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
A Hamas official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, stated that the group’s reply had been handed over to the mediators. The official added that the response is expected to aid negotiations. This development comes after former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a 60-day ceasefire aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on Trump’s statement. Netanyahu insists that Hamas must be disarmed—a condition the militant group has so far refused to consider. Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. When asked earlier this week whether Hamas had accepted the final framework of the ceasefire deal, Trump said, ‘We will know within the next 24 hours.’
Trump emphasized that he would be ‘very tough’ with Netanyahu regarding the urgency of halting the violence in Gaza, noting that the Israeli leader also desires a swift ceasefire. ‘We hope it happens. And we look forward to it happening sometime next week,’ Trump told reporters earlier this week. ‘We want to get the hostages out.’