Hamas accepts US proposal for talks on Israeli hostages
Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh talks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 28, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
Hamas has accepted a US proposal to initiate talks on the release of Israeli hostages, including soldiers and civilians, 16 days after the initial phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters on Saturday.
The Palestinian resistance group has relinquished its demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement.
Negotiations for a ceasefire will continue throughout the six-week first phase, the source said, speaking anonymously due to the private nature of the talks.
A Palestinian official involved in the peace efforts stated that the proposal could lead to a framework agreement, potentially ending Israel's ongoing war on Gaza that followed a Hamas attack in October 2023 that had lead to the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of hostages.
Since then Israel has killed more than 38,000 Palestinian deaths and injured close to 90,000 others.
An Israeli negotiating team member, also speaking anonymously, expressed optimism about achieving an agreement, a marked change from previous instances where Israel found Hamas's conditions unacceptable.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
On Friday, his office indicated that talks would continue next week, acknowledging remaining gaps between the sides.
The new proposal guarantees a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks progress towards implementing the second phase of the agreement, the Hamas source said.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release have intensified, with active diplomacy among Washington, Israel, and Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts from Doha, where the exiled Hamas leadership is based.
A regional source noted that the US administration is eager to secure a deal before the presidential election in November.
Netanyahu stated on Friday that the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar, with further negotiations planned for next week.