The Islamist group Hamas has delivered a “positive” response to international mediators regarding the latest ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip and expressed its willingness to begin negotiations “immediately” to implement the truce.
“Hamas has completed its internal consultations and discussions with various Palestinian factions regarding the latest proposal from the mediators to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza. We have submitted a positive response and are fully prepared to begin a round of negotiations without delay on the implementation mechanisms of this framework,” the group said in a statement, without providing further details.
According to the Israeli outlet Ynet, citing a source close to Hamas, the group requested a few modifications to the original text, including the removal of the humanitarian aid distribution mechanism currently managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), proposing instead that the United Nations resume responsibility for aid delivery.
Sources consulted by the Spanish news agency EFE said Hamas was “satisfied” with the latest ceasefire proposal, which was unveiled Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. According to those sources, the plan includes “clear guarantees” that neither side will resume fighting while negotiations are ongoing. These talks would begin during an initial 60-day truce, aiming for a permanent ceasefire and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Times of Israel confirmed that the Israeli government has received Hamas’s official response and is currently reviewing it.
The proposal, which has been in the works for months under the leadership of U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, calls for a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release half of the remaining Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza, as well as return the bodies of around 30 deceased captives. In exchange, Israel would release several Palestinian prisoners.
Trump announced earlier this week that Israel had accepted the plan and expressed hope that Hamas would do the same. “There could be a deal in Gaza next week,” he said Friday aboard Air Force One, while acknowledging that the situation remains unstable. “I’m very optimistic,” he said when asked about a possible ceasefire, “but it changes day to day.”
When asked about reports suggesting Hamas had responded positively to the truce proposals, the president said: “That’s good. I haven’t been officially briefed yet, but we have to figure it out. We have to do something about Gaza.”
In response to a follow-up question, Trump added: “I think they’ll be positive about it. We’ve been working on this. We’re sending a lot of aid, a lot of money, a lot of assistance. Otherwise, people are in very, very serious trouble.”
The president also linked the Gaza conflict to broader challenges he says he inherited upon taking office. “I inherited a very bad situation in many ways. Whether it’s the 25 million people coming in from prisons, mental institutions, gangs… whether it’s that or Gaza, or Iran—you name it. We’ve started to do something about it,” he said.