Premium

Hamas says it is ready to enter Gaza ceasefire talks in ‘a positive spirit’

In a statement, Hamas added, “The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterised by a positive spirit."

The sun sets over damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel. (AP Photo)

Hamas said on Friday it had responded “in a positive spirit” to a US-brokered ceasefire proposal and expressed readiness to engage in a new round of negotiations aimed at ending the nearly 21-month war in Gaza. “The Hamas movement has completed its internal consultations as well as discussions with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the latest proposal by the mediators to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza,” the group stated on its official website.

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

US President Donald Trump had earlier put forward what he called a “final proposal” for a 60-day truce, saying he expected to hear back from the concerned parties soon. Trump claimed that Israel had already agreed to the “necessary conditions to finalise” the ceasefire.

An installation with the US flag and “liberty for all” message by relatives of Gaza hostages calls for their release and a ceasefire, on a Tel Aviv beach. (AP Photo)

A Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas told Reuters that while there were “positive signs,” concerns remain—particularly over humanitarian aid access, the Rafah crossing into Egypt, and the timeline for a full Israeli withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to meet President Trump in Washington on Monday, has not publicly commented on the latest proposal. Netanyahu has insisted that any agreement must include Hamas’s disarmament—a condition the group has not accepted so far.

Ceasefire talks amid heavy fighting

Despite diplomatic efforts, the ground situation remains grim. According to local health officials, at least 138 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours. In one incident, an Israeli airstrike reportedly hit a tent encampment in Khan Younis at around 2 am Friday, killing 15 displaced people.

Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel. (AP Photo)

The Israeli military said it had targeted more than 100 locations across Gaza in the past day, destroying Hamas outposts, weapons facilities, and launchers.

Story continues below this ad

Also Read: | Benjamin Netanyahu vows ‘there will be no Hamas’ in post-war Gaza

Trump told reporters earlier this week he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu on pushing for a truce. “We hope it’s going to happen. And we’re looking forward to it happening sometime next week. We want to get the hostages out,” he said.

In Tel Aviv, hostage families and their supporters marked US Independence Day with a protest outside the US Embassy, urging Trump to secure a deal. They set up a symbolic Sabbath table with 50 empty chairs, representing the hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram