Hamas Responds Positively to Ceasefire Proposal as Israelis Clash over Gaza Plans
The Palestinian movement Hamas said on Friday it had delivered a “positive” response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli leaders clashed over plans for Gaza, as the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ordered an evacuation plan to the south of the Strip, while the Israeli military chief of staff warned of the plan’s consequences.
Positive Response
In a statement, Hamas said it had completed internal consultations regarding the latest ceasefire proposal, offered by the mediators Egypt and Qatar to stop the ongoing aggression against the people of Gaza.
In the light of this, the Palestinian movement said it had responded positively to the proposal, stressing that it was fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework.
An Egyptian security official told Reuters that Hamas’ response included “positive signs” that an agreement is near. However, Hamas has some demands that need to be worked on, he added.
Discussing Gaza Ceasefire Details
Despite Hamas’ positive response, the Palestinian movement suggested that further talks were needed on the implementation mechanisms.
The US President, Donald Trump, had proposed a 60-day ceasefire, during which the US would work with all parties to end the war. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to his proposal and urged Hamas to do the same.
Speaking to the Associated Press (AP), a Hamas official said that negotiations are necessary before the ceasefire begins to determine the number of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for each freed Israeli hostage, as well as the amount of aid that will enter Gaza during the truce.
Furthermore, negotiations will begin on the truce’s first day on a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in return for the release of remaining hostages, the official said.
Trump’s Optimism
Trump expressed optimism regarding the ceasefire in Gaza following Hamas’ response. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late on Friday, Trump said: “They said they gave me a positive response? Well, that’s good.”
The US President added that he had not been briefed on the current state of negotiations, however, “There could be a Gaza deal next week,” he said.
Trump also said that he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu on the urgency for a quick ceasefire in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Trump said that Israel had agreed to the conditions required to finalize a 60-day ceasefire, following a “long and productive” meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials on Gaza.
He urged Hamas to accept the ceasefire deal. “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote on Truth Social.
A Saudi Priority
Saudi Arabia has stressed its position regarding the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Reuters. In the light of this, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said that the Kingdom’s top priority is a permanent ceasefire in the Strip.
“What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza. This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable and has to stop,” Prince Faisal said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.
Israel’s Position on Gaza Ceasefire
Netanyahu has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement and Hamas’ response. The Israeli Prime Minister is set to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. But so far, their public statements have shown a wide gap, as Netanyahu has insisted on disarming Hamas – a demand that the Palestinian group has firmly rejected to discuss.
“There will not be a Hamas. There will not be a Hamastan. We’re not going back to that. It’s over,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official was quoted by Israeli media as saying that Tel Aviv had received and was considering Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.
Israeli Dispute over Gaza Plans
The Israeli media reported a clash between Netanyahu and the Israeli military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, during a cabinet meeting late on Thursday.
According to the Times of Israel, Ynet and Channel 12, Netanyahu asked Zamir to “work on a wide-scale evacuation plan of the population to the south of the Strip” and lay siege to the north.
Zamir responded by asking: “Do you want a military government [in Gaza]? Who will govern 2 million people?” Netanyahu said that the alternative to the evacuation plan was to capture the entire Strip and risk harming the hostages.
The Israeli military chief rejected the evacuation plan. “We have not agreed to this. To control these people who are hungry and angry could lead to a loss of control and as a result of that loss of control they could turn on the (Israeli military),” he warned.
But Netanyahu insisted on his position, ordering Zamir to “Prepare an evacuation plan — I want to see it when I return from Washington.”
