Hamas has called for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before agreeing to end the Gaza conflict, allowing for negotiations to continue over an initial six-week phase.
Sixteen days into the first phase of a deal aimed at ending the nine-month-old Gaza war, Hamas accepted a US proposal to start talks on the release of Israeli hostages, according to a senior Hamas source who spoke to Reuters on Saturday.
The source emphasized that Israel must first commit to a lasting ceasefire, with discussions to take place over the initial six weeks.
The conflict, which has claimed over 38,000 lives in Gaza, began when Hamas militants launched attacks on southern Israeli cities by air, land, and sea, taking around 250 hostages and resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli casualties.
The US proposal involves mediators ensuring a temporary ceasefire, humanitarian aid delivery, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect negotiations continue to implement the deal’s second phase.
Despite efforts by Arab mediators, supported by the US, a ceasefire agreement remains elusive, with each side accusing the other of obstructing progress.
Hamas insists that any agreement must conclude the war and lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel maintains that only temporary pauses in fighting are acceptable until Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.
