Hamas yesterday suggested that it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but stopped short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by US President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.
Trump on Tuesday said that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.
The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement, and bring about an end to the war.
Photo: Reuters
Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel said it would not accept until Hamas is defeated.
He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week.
However, Hamas’ response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant group was “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.”
Hamas was “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,” he said.
A Hamas delegation was expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo yesterday to discuss the proposal, said an Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal.
Hamas has said that it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
Israel said it would only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do.
An Israeli official said that the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory.
The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel is not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said.
It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10.
Israel has yet to publicly comment on Trump’s announcement.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defense agency said that Israeli strikes killed at least 41 people yesterday.
Additional reporting by AFP
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