CAIRO – July 18, 2025 – Hamas’s armed wing announced on Friday that an interim truce in the Gaza war might not be possible without a clear commitment to a permanent ceasefire. A spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, stated that if current negotiations fail to secure such a path, the group could revert to demanding a full package deal to end the conflict entirely.
Stalled Negotiations and Accusations
Abu Ubaida reiterated in a televised speech that Hamas has repeatedly offered to release all hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, but Israel has consistently refused.
Arab mediators, including Qatar and Egypt, supported by the United States, have been hosting over 10 days of talks on a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the devastated Palestinian enclave.
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement after a call with Pope Leo on Friday, asserting that Israel’s efforts to secure a hostage release deal and a 60-day ceasefire “have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas.”
Terms of Potential Deal and Sticking Points
The potential deal reportedly involves the return of 10 hostages held in Gaza, along with the bodies of 18 others, staggered over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians.
“If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,” Abu Ubaida warned.
Two Hamas officials, speaking to Reuters on Friday, indicated that disputes persist over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, mechanisms for aid delivery into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to an end to the war. They confirmed that the talks have yet to achieve a breakthrough on these critical issues.
Hamas maintains that any agreement must ultimately lead to ending the war, while Netanyahu insists that the war will only conclude once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders are expelled from Gaza.
Casualties of the Conflict
According to Gaza health authorities, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 58,600 Palestinians. Israeli tallies indicate that almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.
