Hamas has issued what it called a “positive response” to the latest US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, signalling readiness to resume negotiations. The Palestinian group said it was “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations,” though it has not formally accepted the terms.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Hamas agrees to the overall framework but has proposed amendments—chiefly a US guarantee that fighting won’t resume if peace talks collapse.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that a ceasefire deal could be reached “by next week” and welcomed Hamas’s response as “positive in spirit.” On Tuesday, Trump claimed Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, during which talks to end the 20-month war would begin.
The proposal reportedly includes:
- The staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
- Immediate humanitarian aid into Gaza, coordinated by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- A phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from northern and southern Gaza.
However, Hamas insists that:
- Aid distribution must be handled exclusively by the UN, not the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
- Israeli troops must fully withdraw to pre-March positions.
- The US must guarantee no resumption of Israeli air or ground operations if ceasefire talks fail.
Despite these diplomatic developments, violence in Gaza has intensified. On Friday, the Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 138 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. Among them were 15 people sheltering in tents in Khan Younis, including the brother of 13-year-old Mayar al-Farr. “The ceasefire will come, and I have lost my brother?” she asked. “There should have been a ceasefire long ago.”
The Israeli military has not commented on the recent strikes but said it continues operations to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure.
Amid mounting humanitarian concerns:
- Médecins Sans Frontières reported at least 16 civilians killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid trucks.
- The UN human rights office said over 500 people were killed near GHF aid sites, and over 100 near convoys—accusing Israeli forces of firing on aid-seekers.
- The Israeli military and GHF dismissed the claims, calling the figures misleading and “lies.”
A Red Cross staffer in Rafah was also injured by a stray bullet Friday, which the ICRC called “unacceptable.” Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis deepens as food, water, and medicine remain scarce across the besieged strip.
“This carnage must stop now,” said Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa of Médecins Sans Frontières.
