A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday (July 6) that the organization has accepted a proposal from the United States to begin negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after signing the first stage ceasefire agreement, in order to end the war.
The source revealed to Reuters that Hamas has now abandoned its demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and has agreed to work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire during the six-week negotiation period of the first stage.
A Palestinian official familiar with the details of the negotiations stated that if Israel accepts this proposal, it could pave the way for an agreement framework to end the 9-month Israel-Hamas conflict.
An informant from the Israeli negotiation team mentioned that there is indeed a chance for an agreement now, a stark contrast to Israel’s previous stance. Israel had staunchly stated before that Hamas’ additional conditions were unacceptable.
Saturday being the Jewish Sabbath, there was no immediate response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson to Reuters’ request for comment.
On Friday, Netanyahu’s office mentioned that talks would continue into the next week and emphasized that there were still differences between the two sides.
According to Gaza health officials, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 38,000 Palestinians since Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on October 7. Israeli official figures report that Hamas attacks have led to the deaths of 1,200 Israeli civilians and approximately 250 have been taken hostage.
Hamas sources indicated that the new proposal ensures that as long as indirect talks continue and the second stage of the agreement is implemented, the mediators will guarantee the continuation of the ceasefire, the delivery of aid supplies, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Over the past few days, intensive shuttle diplomacy between Washington, Israel, and Qatar has been underway to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
A regional source claimed that the goal of the U.S. government is to reach an agreement before the November U.S. presidential election.