Hamas responds to US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a ‘positive spirit’

Palestinian radical Hamas says it has fixed a “positive” effect to a United States-brokered connection for a Gaza ceasefire, raising hopes of a imaginable breakthrough successful halting Israel’s deadly offensive.

US President Donald Trump earlier announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day truce successful the astir 21-month-old war, stating helium anticipated a reply from the parties successful the coming hours.

Hamas said precocious connected Friday that the radical had submitted its reply to Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the talks.

“The question [Hamas] has delivered its effect to the brotherly mediators, which was characterised by a affirmative spirit. Hamas is afloat prepared, with each seriousness, to instantly participate a caller circular of negotiations connected the mechanics for implementing this framework,” a connection by the radical said.

Trump said earlier this week that Israel had accepted the main conditions of a projected 60-day truce, during which clip negotiations would purpose to permanently extremity the war. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publically endorse the plan.

Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) implicit alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza, is expected to conscionable Trump successful Washington connected Monday.

Details from the projected deal

According to a translated transcript of the model shared with Al Jazeera, the woody would see a 60-day truce, guaranteed by Trump, with a phased merchandise of Israeli captives and accrued humanitarian aid.

The projected speech includes the merchandise of 10 surviving and 18 deceased Israeli captives from the “List of 58”. Releases would hap connected days one, seven, 30, 50, and 60 – opening with 8 unrecorded captives connected the archetypal day.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli aerial and crushed violative connected the Gaza Strip basal successful an country astatine a makeshift structure campy astatine dusk successful Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 2, 2025[Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]

Under the plan, assistance would travel into Gaza instantly pursuing Hamas’s approval, successful quantities comparable to the January 2025 agreement. Distribution would beryllium handled by agencies including the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

As portion of the projected Gaza ceasefire framework, each Israeli subject operations would halt erstwhile the statement takes effect, Al Jazeera has learned.

The woody includes a intermission successful subject and surveillance flights implicit Gaza for 10 hours each time – oregon 12 hours connected days erstwhile captives and prisoners are exchanged.

Negotiations for a imperishable ceasefire would statesman connected time 1 nether the supervision of mediators. Talks would screen a afloat speech of captives for Palestinian prisoners, Israeli unit withdrawal, aboriginal information arrangements, and “day-after” plans for Gaza.

‘Much-awaited response’

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said the Hamas effect was “much-awaited, much-anticipated”, with anxious besieged Palestinians asking erstwhile it would come.

“We don’t cognize whether this effect … is going to bring an extremity to the ongoing killings … oregon the beingness of the [Israeli] drones,” helium said.

Heavy shelling and gunfire proceed adjacent food organisation points, and uncertainty remains implicit whether superior negotiations volition pb to relief.

“None of this is wide close now,” Mahmoud added, “but astatine slightest it’s a archetypal step.”

Trump, speaking aboriginal connected Friday, said helium expected clarity from Hamas “over the adjacent 24 hours”.

He added, “We anticipation it’s going to happen. And we’re looking guardant to it happening sometime adjacent week. We privation to get the hostages out.”

Israel pushing for broadside woody with Trump

Despite Hamas’s endorsement, the radical has reportedly sought guarantees that the projected truce would pb to a imperishable extremity to Israel’s warfare and forestall Tel Aviv from resuming attacks astatine will.

According to 2 Israeli officials quoted by the Reuters quality agency, details of the connection are inactive nether negotiation. Meanwhile, Israel is said to beryllium pressing Trump for written assurances that it tin resume operations if its cardinal demands – Hamas disarmament and the exile of its enactment – are not met.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, citing a elder governmental source, reported earlier this week that the woody includes a broadside missive from Trump granting Israel the authorization to “renew the fire” should Hamas neglect to comply. The papers would let Israel to find whether the presumption had been fulfilled.

Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that immoderate Palestinian absorption groups successful Gaza indispensable beryllium dismantled arsenic a precondition for bid – an contented that remains a large sticking point.

A erstwhile two-month truce ended erstwhile Israeli strikes killed much than 400 Palestinians connected March 18 and led to what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called “the cruellest signifier of a cruel war”. More than 6,000 Palestinians person been killed since Israel broke the truce.

Overall, Israeli forces person killed astatine slightest 57,268 Palestinians and wounded much than 130,000 since October 7, 2023.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies