HAMAS has announced it’s readiness to begin talks “immediately” on a proposed ceasefire in Gaza, as Israel’s ongoing offensive killed 20 people on Saturday, according to civil defence agency
The announcement followed consultations with other Palestinian factions and came ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to Washington on Monday, where President Donald Trump is urging an end to the war, now in its 21st month.
The ICIR reported that United States President Donald Trump unveiled what he described as a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire, stating that he expected a response from both sides within hours.
“The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place” the terms of a draft US-backed truce proposal received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement.
Hamas ally, Islamic Jihad, expressed support for the ceasefire talks but insisted on “guarantees” that Israel would not resume its attacks after the hostages held in Gaza are released.
On Friday, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to bringing the hostages home, following mounting domestic pressure over their situation.
When asked about Hamas’s response while aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said, “That’s good. I haven’t been briefed yet. We need to get this over with, we have to do something about Gaza.”
According to Palestinian sources familiar with the negotiations, the latest proposal includes a “60-day truce,” during which Hamas would release half of the surviving Israeli hostages in Gaza, believed to be 22, in exchange for Israel freeing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 who, according to the Israeli military, are presumed dead.
The conflict in Gaza erupted after Hamas launched an attack in October 2023, triggering a large-scale Israeli offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas and securing the return of all hostages taken by Palestinian militants.
Repeated attempts to broker a new truce have collapsed, largely due to Israel’s refusal to accept Hamas’s demand for assurances that any ceasefire would be permanent.
A previous round of negotiations collapsed in May, with both Hamas and Israel accusing each other of causing the breakdown.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.