Hamas responds in 'positive spirit' to Trump-backed proposal, signals readiness for Gaza truce

Hamas has responded “in a positive spirit” to a new ceasefire proposal brokered by the United States, signalling its readiness to enter immediate negotiations with Israel on a deal that could pause the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza and lay the groundwork for a permanent resolution. The response, delivered to mediators Egypt and Qatar late Friday, marks the most significant progress in months toward halting the conflict that began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. 

 

The new proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release 10 living Israeli hostages and return the remains of 18 others in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The deal would also permit the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and see the Israeli military begin a phased withdrawal from parts of the territory.

 

“The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterised by a positive spirit,” Hamas said on its official website. “Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”

 

President Donald Trump, who announced the proposal earlier in the week and has been directly involved in pressing both sides, wrote on Truth Social: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA,” addressing Israel, before warning Hamas that “it will not get better, it will only get worse” if it failed to respond positively. Trump is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday to discuss the ceasefire plan and broader regional tensions, including the recent 12-day US bombing campaign against Iranian nuclear sites, undertaken at Netanyahu’s urging.

 

Israeli officials confirmed that Hamas’s response had been received and was under review. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said there were “positive signs” in the efforts to resume talks and that Israel was eager to restart negotiations as soon as possible.

 

Netanyahu, under pressure from far-right members of his ruling coalition who oppose any permanent ceasefire, has until now resisted calls to end the war outright. His government continues to insist that any deal must allow Israel to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing structures in Gaza. But following the campaign against Iran, which appears to have boosted Netanyahu’s domestic standing, he may be in a stronger position to negotiate without risking the collapse of his government.

 

A key sticking point remains the permanence of the ceasefire. Hamas wants stronger assurances that the 60-day truce will lead to a comprehensive end to the war, while Israel is seeking to retain the option of resuming military operations if negotiations fail. Previous talks have collapsed at the final stage over such issues, with each side blaming the other.

 

The latest ceasefire proposal builds on a framework advanced by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and mirrors elements of earlier, short-lived truces. As before, the releases of hostages and prisoners would occur in several stages. A condition of the new deal is that Hamas refrains from staging televised handover ceremonies, which previously sparked outrage in Israel.

 

Negotiations towards a permanent ceasefire would begin as soon as the truce takes effect, with the US, Qatar and Egypt playing supervisory roles. The proposal does not detail the extent of Israel’s planned troop pullback from Gaza, leaving open questions about how much ground Israel would relinquish and under what conditions.

 

The internal dynamics of Hamas also add uncertainty. A new military commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, has reportedly taken charge in Gaza following the killing of Muhammad Sinwar. Al-Haddad is believed to have played a key role in the October 2023 attack and has voiced hardline positions. He has listed Hamas’s conditions for peace: a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the end of the war, the release of all Palestinian prisoners, reconstruction of the territory and the lifting of all restrictions on the movement of goods and people.

 

Despite these challenges, the mood among mediators appears cautiously optimistic. With over 6,000 people killed in Gaza since the last truce collapsed in March, and humanitarian conditions worsening, the appetite for a breakthrough is growing.

 

Israeli sources told Reuters that preparations were underway to approve the ceasefire and that an Israeli delegation was ready to join the indirect talks if Hamas’s response was deemed acceptable.

 

For now, the focus remains on whether the fragile momentum can translate into a lasting halt to the violence and a return to diplomacy. As one US official close to the talks said, “We are at a critical juncture. The choices made in the coming days will shape the future of Gaza and the region.”

Middle East