Hamas has announced it has submitted a “positive response” to mediators regarding the latest US-backed proposal to broker a ceasefire with Israel, raising hopes for a potential breakthrough in the protracted conflict that has severely worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The plan, previously announced by US President Donald Trump as a “final proposal” accepted by Israel, envisages a 60-day ceasefire. It includes the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 others, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and a halt to the bombing of Gaza.
“The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit,” Hamas stated on its official website on Friday, adding its readiness to immediately enter new negotiations on the implementation mechanism.
Israeli media reported that Israel has received Hamas’s response, which is currently being examined, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly endorse the plan. This development comes ahead of Netanyahu’s expected meeting with President Trump in Washington on Monday.
In Gaza, civilians continue to face starvation-level conditions and relentless bombardment. The UN human rights office reported that 613 Palestinians were killed in one month while trying to access humanitarian aid, with 509 of those killed at distribution points run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
A Hamas official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the ceasefire could begin as early as next week but stressed the need for further talks on the exact number of prisoner exchanges and the amount of aid entering Gaza. Hamas seeks greater aid flow through the UN and other humanitarian agencies and demands that negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli troop withdrawal begin on the first day of the truce.
Previous ceasefire negotiations collapsed in March, leading to intensified Israeli attacks that have killed over 6,000 people in Gaza since then. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports the death toll has surpassed 57,000, with over half being women and children, though it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
