Photo: Reuters
Cairo: Hamas indicated on Wednesday a possible willingness to consider a ceasefire with Israel but did not fully endorse a U.S.-backed proposal announced earlier by President Donald Trump. The group reiterated its core demand that any agreement must lead to a complete end to the war in Gaza.
President Trump announced on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to accept the offer before conditions deteriorate further. He has been intensifying efforts to push both Israel and Hamas toward a ceasefire, a hostage deal, and an eventual end to the conflict.
Trump said the two-month pause would provide time to work toward a permanent resolution — a stance Israel rejects until Hamas is fully defeated. He expressed hope that a deal could be reached as early as next week.
However, Hamas’ insistence on ending the war as a condition raised doubts about whether the proposal could lead to an actual halt in the fighting.
Hamas official Taher Al-Nunu stated that the group is "ready and serious about reaching an agreement." He emphasized that Hamas is willing to accept any proposal that clearly results in a full end to the war, AP reported.
A Hamas delegation is scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the latest proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the planned talks.
Over the course of the nearly 21-month war, efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly broken down, mainly due to disagreements over whether the conflict should formally end as part of any agreement.
Hamas has indicated it is prepared to release the remaining 50 hostages—fewer than half of whom are believed to still be alive—in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete end to the war.
Israel, however, insists it will only agree to end the war if Hamas agrees to surrender, disarm, and go into exile—terms the group has rejected.
According to an Israeli official, the latest proposal involves a 60-day arrangement that would see Israel partially withdraw from Gaza and allow a significant increase in humanitarian aid. While mediators and the U.S. would offer assurances of future talks aimed at ending the war, Israel has not committed to ending the conflict as part of this proposal. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, shared the information on the condition of anonymity.
It remains unclear how many hostages would be released under the proposed agreement, though earlier plans have suggested around 10.
Israel has not yet issued a public response to Trump’s announcement. On Monday, former President Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. This meeting comes shortly after Netanyahu's senior adviser, Ron Dermer, held talks with high-ranking U.S. officials on issues including Gaza, Iran, and other regional concerns.