Palestinian militant group Hamas has accepted a ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatar and Egypt to halt hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Reports from Al Jazeera and the BBC, citing a senior Hamas official, confirmed the group’s approval. Sources in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon also verified Hamas’s acceptance without amendments to the proposal presented Sunday by the mediators.
Hamas Accepts Gaza Truce Proposal Amidst Intense Diplomatic Push
Table of Contents
Hamas agreed to a 60-day truce, including hostage and prisoner exchanges, and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- Hamas accepted a 60-day ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatar and Egypt.
- The deal includes the release of half of the 50 living and deceased captives in two stages.
- Israel would facilitate a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of its troops from Gaza.
- The proposal also calls for increased humanitarian aid and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
- Israeli leaders linked Hamas’s acceptance to military pressure on Gaza City.
The accepted proposal outlines a 60-day temporary truce. During this period, Hamas would release half of the 50 captives, both living and deceased, in two stages. Concurrently, Israel, Hamas, and mediators would work towards a permanent ceasefire, including the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
This development comes as Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi are in Egypt, aiming to advance ceasefire talks between Palestinian combatants and Israel.
Israeli officials have received Hamas’s accepted proposal but have not yet commented on their approval. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have both stated that Hamas’s response is a direct result of military pressure on Gaza City.
The truce proposal also includes a significant increase in humanitarian aid, such as fuel, water, electricity, and the rehabilitation of bakeries and hospitals. Additionally, Israel would be required to release 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 60 serving sentences longer than 15 years.
However, the potential 60-day truce does not resolve the underlying issues hindering a permanent peace. Israel insists on disarming and exiling Hamas, a demand the group rejects unless a Palestinian state is established with East Jerusalem as its capital. This stance remains unacceptable to the Israeli government.
Netanyahu has consistently linked negotiation progress to military actions. On August 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved plans to take control of Gaza City, the largest municipality in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories. This operation would involve the forced displacement of nearly one million civilians. The lack of an official start date for this invasion has led many to believe the announcement was a tactic to pressure Hamas at the negotiating table.
“Like you, I am hearing the reports in the media,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, referring to Hamas’s approval of a truce proposal. “From these reports, one can get the impression: Hamas is under enormous pressure.”
Minister Katz echoed this sentiment. “We see for the first time, after weeks where Hamas has been reluctant to negotiate any deal for the release of hostages, that [the issue] is suddenly on the table,” he stated to soldiers of the Gaza Division during a visit attended by Netanyahu. “The reason is clear: Hamas’s fear that we have a serious intention to conquer Gaza motivates it to negotiate.”
Trump’s Support
Hours before Hamas’s approval, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, seemingly endorsing Israel’s goal of taking Gaza City. “We will only see the return of the captives when Hamas is confronted and destroyed! The sooner this takes place, the more options for success there will be.”
While the invasion of Gaza City has not officially begun, civilians in the area have experienced escalating hostilities for days. News and humanitarian sources report continuous bombings in the eastern parts of the city, pushing residents towards the coast and south, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Mass Evacuations
Ahmed Mheisen, a humanitarian worker in Gaza responsible for civilian shelters in Beit Lahia, bordering eastern Gaza, reported on Monday that at least 995 families have fled the area in recent days, seeking safer locations in the south. These southern areas are already overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
The human rights observation group Euro-Med, based in Geneva, reported on Sunday that the Israeli army conducted an offensive in the Zeitoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza over the preceding six days. This operation led to the displacement of 90,000 people. The group also stated that Israeli bombardments destroyed approximately 400 buildings, including private residences.
On Sunday, the first day of the week in Israel, hundreds of thousands of Israelis participated in a general strike, demanding a hostage release deal from their government. This protest represented one of the largest public oppositions to Netanyahu’s administration. On Monday, the Forum of Families of the Captives and Missing called for another general strike the following Sunday. “[Sunday’s protests] clearly demonstrate what the majority of the country wants: The nation of Israel supports the return of the captives and the end of the war!”
