Israel has received Hamas’ response to a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and negotiations on the details are underway, Israeli media reported.
Israel’s Channel 12, citing an anonymous source, said that mediators had delivered to the Israeli side a positive response from the Palestinian movement to a new proposal for a cessation of hostilities.
“We have completed internal consultations with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the mediator’s latest proposal to stop the aggression against our people in Gaza,” Hamas said earlier on Friday.
According to the same source, an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Doha for talks on implementing the proposal, although no exact timeframe was given.
Channel 12 previously reported, citing the same source, that the talks in the Qatari capital “will not last more than a day and a half.”
Egypt has begun intensive contacts with various parties to continue indirect negotiations and reach a final formula acceptable to all participants, the Egyptian channel Al-Qahera el-Ekhbariya reported.
According to the Israeli public service KAN, Hamas is insisting on three main demands – a return to the previous mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid, an extension of the ceasefire beyond the scheduled 60-day period, and the actual withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
Reports from Israel indicate that the main obstacle to continuing the negotiations will be the Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, the Israel Hayom newspaper writes.
The newspaper states that Israel is seeking to maintain a presence on the Morag axis, which separates Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, while Hamas is demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, citing unnamed Israeli officials, US President Donald Trump could announce a ceasefire agreement in Gaza during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
According to the same sources, Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington to meet with Trump.
Hamas did not provide details of the proposal in its statement, but Israeli and US media reported that the main elements include the release of half of the living Israeli hostages, 10 of them, and the handover of the bodies of 18 prisoners in five stages during a 60-day ceasefire.
In return, Israel would release a large number of Palestinian prisoners it holds and gradually withdraw its forces from pre-agreed areas in Gaza, which could cause divisions within the Israeli leadership, which is demanding the disarmament of Hamas and the expulsion of its leadership abroad.
An estimated 20 Israeli hostages are being held in Gaza, while more than 10,400 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, where, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports, they suffer torture, starvation and medical neglect that has led to the deaths of many prisoners.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel continues its attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 57,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide charge before the International Court of Justice.
