By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

An Israeli source confirmed that Israel received the document submitted by the mediators and that it, whereby Hamas said it wants stronger guarantees of a permanent end to war, as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump in the US.

Palestine, a subject we covered already back in 2005, remains a focus of attention.

Hamas handed a "positive" response to the ceasefire and hostage deal proposal to mediators on Friday evening July 4, a Palestinian official familiar with the matter told Reuters.

"We have handed the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, our response to the ceasefire proposal," a Hamas official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The response should help Hamas and Israel "facilitate reaching a deal," the official said. The terrorist organization later added that they "completed its internal consultations with Palestinian factions regarding the mediators' latest proposal to halt the aggression" and that they're "fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations" on the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire deal.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also said, "Hamas consulted with us, and we are interested in progressing towards an agreement."

 

What are Hamas's demands for the ceasefire

Hamas's main demands for the ceasefire include a commitment to the free entry of humanitarian aid, while returning to a model in which UN organizations are responsible for its entry and distribution; IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip; and guarantees for a stable ceasefire and the prevention of renewed fighting, according to Palestinian sources.

Palestinian terrorists celebrate despite a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025.

An Israeli source also confirmed that Israel received the document submitted by the mediators and that it, as well as Hamas's response to the proposal, are being examined. The security cabinet will convene tonight (Saturday) to discuss the negotiations.

"The amendments proposed in Hamas's response will challenge Israel's decision-makers," KAN quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying.

On Friday evening, Hamas wrote on its official website: “The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”

A Palestinian woman and her daughter rush for cover during an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in the coming hours.

According to Al-Arabiyya, Qatari mediators received a guarantee from the US that the war would not resume after a 60-day truce. 

Hamas demanded that Washington agree to be an official guarantor for a permanent end to the war, Al-Arabiyya added. 

This comes after Hamas confirmed early that morning that it was discussing the US-Qatar ceasefire proposal with other Palestinian factions.

A Palestinian official of a terrorist group allied with Hamas said concerns remain over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing to Egypt, and clarity over a timetable of Israeli troop withdrawals. 

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is expecting to know whether Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal over the next 24 hours, Reuters reported.

 

What was the ceasefire proposal presented to Hamas?

The proposal, presented by Qatar and based on the Witkoff framework, calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies during a 60-day ceasefire. During that period, the sides are expected to hold talks aimed at ending the war.

Within the proposed deal, 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will also be released.

The proposed deal includes a schedule for the release of 10 live Israeli hostages in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

On Thursday, senior Hamas officials met in Turkey to discuss the proposed framework.

In exchange for the hostages, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners in addition to 1,111 Gazans that Israel had arrested after October 7.

The militant Islamist group has come under immense pressure in recent months, with its military leadership decimated and the Israeli military forcing its fighters out of former strongholds in the southern and central parts of Gaza.

In recent days, Israel has ramped up its offensive, launching an intense wave of airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 250 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to medical and civil defense officials.

Hardline factions within Hamas had reluctantly accepted the need for a ceasefire to allow the organization to regroup and plan a new strategy, one source familiar with the internal debate said.

Since a previous ceasefire collapsed in March, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and an acute humanitarian crisis has worsened.

Efforts for a new truce in Gaza gathered momentum after the US secured a ceasefire to end the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month.

On Tuesday, Trump announced that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalize a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war.

When asked on Thursday if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework, he said: “We’ll see what happens. We are going to know over the next 24 hours.”

Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to fly to Washington on Sunday for talks with Trump about the war in Gaza, the recent war between Israel and Iran, and other regional issues.

The Israeli prime minister has long resisted a permanent end to the war in Gaza, partly to retain the support of far-right allies in his ruling coalition.

But Israel’s successes in the war with Iran have strengthened its political position, and opinion polls in Israel show strong support for a deal.

 

 

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