Gaza Ceasefire Hopes Mount as Hamas Signals Conditional Acceptance of Qatari/US Proposal

Momentum is building toward a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group, with reports suggesting that both parties have yielded on some previously firm positions. The proposed ceasefire would last for 60 days, during which 10 living and 18 deceased hostages would reportedly be released in stages. Israel is said to have agreed to suspend military operations as long as talks aimed at ending the war are ongoing, and hinted that they are open to ending the war. Previously, Israel had rejected this stipulation, which was non-negotiable for Hamas. Israel is reportedly under significant pressure from the United States to secure a ceasefire deal ahead of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to Washington next week for discussions with US President Donald Trump.

For days, sources indicated flexibility from both sides on most issues, with the primary hurdle being the ultimate end of the war. Israel has consistently asserted its right to resume its offensive against Hamas, while the terror group has demanded a permanent end to the fighting, which began with its October 7, 2023, onslaught. However, a diplomat briefed on the talks told The Associated Press, “The indications we’re getting are people are ready,” adding that there’s now a “big opportunity” to reach an agreement. According to The New York Times, the 28 hostages would be released in five groups over the 60-day period, a change from an earlier version of the proposal that had envisioned their release within the first week of a halt. An Egyptian official involved in the talks told the AP that the current proposal calls for Hamas to release eight living hostages on the first day of the ceasefire and two more on the final day, with deceased hostages returned in three groups in between.

Under the agreement, Israeli hostages, held in nightmarish conditions by the terrorists, would be exchanged for Palestinian terrorism prisoners held by Israel. Israel would allow a significant increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously to the Times of Israel, characterized the agreement as a 60-day deal that includes a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid. The official clarified that while mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on ending the war, Israel is not committing to ending the war as part of this specific proposal. Saudi news outlet Asharq al-Awsat, citing a source with knowledge of the developments, reported that the proposal includes assurances from mediators that both sides will not resume fighting as long as negotiations to end the war are ongoing. Hamas was reportedly satisfied with these guarantees and is expected to deliver its official response to the proposed framework on Friday, after reviewing it with other factions.

The diplomat who spoke to the AP suggested that President Trump’s strong rhetoric toward Israel regarding maintaining a ceasefire with Iran had “given a bit of confidence to Hamas” that the US would guarantee any future deal and prevent a return to fighting. Israeli public broadcasters Kan and Channel 12 reported that a positive response from Hamas would prompt an Israeli negotiation team to head to Doha at short notice for mediated talks to finalize the agreement. Remaining points of contention include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza during the halt in fighting. Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that the proposal calls for Israeli troops to return to positions held during the last ceasefire. This would mean Israeli forces would remain along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egyptian border but would not maintain control of the “Morag Corridor,” an east-west route cutting off Rafah and Khan Younis, which Israel has insisted on controlling to eradicate Hamas from southern Gaza. The newspaper also reported that aid would be supplied “uninterrupted” through the United Nations, with both sides agreeing that the UN and the Palestinian Red Crescent would lead aid operations. The Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would also continue to operate.

A key issue seemingly resolved is the administration of Gaza. While Israel has maintained that Hamas cannot govern the territory, the Egyptian official stated that the proposal would instead place Gaza under the control of a group of Palestinians without political affiliations, known as the Community Support Committee, once a ceasefire is reached. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed, “there will be no Hamas… no Hamastan,” following the 60-day ceasefire plan, reiterating Israel’s demand for the group to relinquish power and demilitarize. In a symbolic move, the UK’s Times newspaper reported that Qatari mediators are instructing senior Hamas officials abroad to hand in their personal weapons. This gesture is seen as a nod to Israel’s demand for Hamas’s disarmament, which the terror group has thus far rejected. Among those reportedly instructed to surrender weapons are lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, Istanbul-based Hamas leader Zaher Jabarin, and the chair of Hamas’s Shura Council, Muhammad Ismail Darwish. Channel 12, without citing a source, reported that the Palestinian prisoners who could be released in exchange for the hostages might include individuals Israel had previously refused to free. It also suggested that a complete end to the war would entail the release of all remaining hostages.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told reporters in Estonia that there are “positive signs.” Sa’ar emphasized Israel’s goal to “begin proximity talks as soon as possible,” referring to mediated negotiations on the ceasefire details. President Trump has clearly communicated his desire for the Israel-Hamas war to end soon. His recent strong words for Israel regarding maintaining a ceasefire with Iran, where he pressured Israel to scale back its response to an Iranian missile attack, could further persuade Hamas to accept a deal. Despite the growing momentum, Prime Minister Netanyahu faces significant opposition within his own coalition regarding a ceasefire that would end the war. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who previously resigned from the government over a ceasefire but rejoined when fighting resumed in March, told Kan Thursday that he believes the current deal is akin to “surrender.” “We must not stop the war without victory,” Ben Gvir stated. “What do you think will happen if we stop the war now? That Hamas will hand out flowers?” He urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party to unite against the deal, declaring, “I won’t allow this reckless deal to happen.” On Tuesday, Army Radio reported that the governing coalition was considering inviting Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party to join the government if Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich’s Religious Zionism parties were to withdraw over the ceasefire deal.