Hamas said it is “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations” for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian militant group said in a statement late Friday that it had given a “positive response” to a U.S.-brokered proposal for a 60-day ceasefire. If successful, a truce deal would pause the war between Hamas and Israel that has devastated Gaza and escalated tensions in the wider Middle East since October 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that there could be a ceasefire deal next week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington on Monday, where he is expected to discuss the terms of the ceasefire deal with Trump.
Hamas has not confirmed whether it will accept the terms of the ceasefire deal as proposed, according to media reports. Trump said earlier this week that Israel had accepted the proposed terms, although Israel has not itself confirmed whether it will agree to the deal.
The deal’s terms have not been made public, but media reports state that it would include the release of more Israeli hostages held by Hamas — 10 living and 18 bodies — in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It would also allow for more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza immediately via the United Nations and the Red Cross.
Israel has intensified its strikes on Gaza even as it approaches ceasefire talks, ordering people to leave the outskirts of Gaza City and increasing bombings and military operations in the city this week.
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