Gaza (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hamas said that it is ready and serious regarding reaching a ceasefire agreement, but insisted on a complete end to the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
What are the terms of Trump’s ceasefire proposal?What are the core disagreements between Israel and Hamas?
On Wednesday, Hamas indicated it’s open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but hasn’t accepted a U.S.-backed proposal from President Donald Trump, who announced it hours earlier. Hamas is sticking to its long-held position that any deal must end the war in Gaza.
What are the terms of Trump’s ceasefire proposal?
One day prior, Trump stated on Tuesday that Israel had reached terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before the situation deteriorates further. The U.S. president has been stepping up pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire and a hostage agreement, ultimately bringing an end to the conflict.
Trump stated that the 60-day period would be utilized to move towards ending the war — a goal Israel insists it won’t accept until Hamas is defeated. He mentioned that a potential deal could be reached as early as next week.
However, Hamas’ response, which stressed its call for an end to the war, sparked doubts about whether the latest proposal could lead to a real ceasefire.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant group was
“ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.”
He stated the group was
“ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.”
Representatives from Hamas are set to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, an Egyptian official said.
What are the core disagreements between Israel and Hamas?
For almost 21 months, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over the question of whether the war should end as part of a deal. Hamas has indicated it’s willing to release the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and a formal end to the war.
Israel is demanding that Hamas surrender, disarm, and leave the country before it will consider ending the war, but Hamas is refusing.
According to an Israeli official, the latest proposal involves a 60-day agreement that includes a partial Israeli pullout from Gaza and increased humanitarian aid to the area. The mediators and the U.S. would offer guarantees about negotiations to end the war, but Israel isn’t committing to these talks as part of the current proposal, the official stated.
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