Netanyahu’s Message to Hamas: ‘Lay Down Arms to Leave Gaza’ – Ceasefire Talks Resume

In a statement on Sunday evening (March 30, 2025), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to allow Hamas leaders to leave the Gaza Strip if they surrender their weapons. During a meeting of Israel’s ministerial cabinet, Netanyahu emphasized that military pressure against Hamas is already yielding results. “Regarding Hamas in Gaza, the military pressure is working… We can see cracks appearing. Hamas must lay down its arms. Afterward, their leaders will be allowed to leave,” he stated. Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Haya announced that the movement had approved a new ceasefire proposal presented by mediators and called on Israel to accept it as well. However, he clarified that the resistance’s weapons remain a ‘red line.’ Israel confirmed receiving the proposal but provided no further details, stating only that it would submit a counter-proposal. Both Hamas and Israel acknowledged receiving the new truce offer from mediators—Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S.—which proposes reinstating the ceasefire and freeing hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 incursion into Gaza. The exchange of messages comes amid intense Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. In a recent attack targeting displaced persons in Khan Younis, eight people, including five children, were killed. Yesterday, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society identified 15 bodies of emergency service workers killed on March 23 when Israeli forces fired on ambulances in Rafah. Despite international calls for peace, the conflict continues with devastating consequences.