Hamas response on ceasefire proposal expected within 24 hours, Donald Trump says
His comments came after Hamas leaders held talks on the final details of the proposal on Thursday, sources told The National. Hamas is expected to agree on a truce and the release of some hostages, but the group is seeking clarification about some issues, the sources said as discussions took place in Cairo.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire agreement, during which the parties would work to end the conflict. When asked on Friday whether Hamas had agreed to the latest terms, he said: "We'll see what happens, we are going to know over the next 24 hours."
The main provisions in the proposed deal are a 60-day truce, during which Hamas will release 10 living hostages, as well as the remains of half of those who died in captivity. In return, about 1,200 Palestinians detained in Israel would be released, sources told The National.
The proposal also envisions negotiations between Israel and Hamas on ending the war and an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.
The two sides are also reviewing the mechanics of the resumption and distribution of aid in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are facing hunger and an acute shortage of essential items.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has bitterly opposed any deal throughout the war, on Thursday called on far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to 'join forces' to block a 'reckless deal'. Mr Smotrich this week promised to oppose any deal that ended the fighting.
'We must not stop the war without victory,' Mr Ben-Gvir told Israel's public broadcaster. 'What do you think will happen if we stop the war now? That Hamas will hand out flowers?'
His comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to visit Washington next week.
The Gaza war broke out in October 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage. The group is believed to still have about 50 hostages, with fewer than half of them thought to be alive.
The Hamas attack prompted a devastating assault by Israel that has so far killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza have said. The war has displaced the majority of the enclave's estimated two million population, with many having been forced to flee more than once, and destroyed swathes of built-up areas.
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying in vain since March to broker a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
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The National
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Hezbollah considers US proposal to disarm as pressure grows
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Zawya
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Oil dips ahead of expected OPEC+ output increase
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