Hamas is seeking guarantees that a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza will lead to a full end to the war, a source close to the group said on Thursday, as Israeli strikes continued across the territory, killing dozens more people, according to medics.
Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since the war with Hamas began.
Efforts for a Gaza truce have gained momentum following a US-brokered ceasefire that ended a 12-day aerial conflict between Israel and Iran. However, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continued, killing at least 59 people on Thursday, according to local health authorities.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the terms of a proposed 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties would negotiate a path to end the war.
Hamas is seeking clear guarantees that the truce will ultimately lead to a permanent end to the conflict, the source said. Two Israeli officials confirmed that details of the deal were still under negotiation. The demand for ending the war has long been a sticking point in previous failed talks.
Read more: Israel kills over 139, injures 487 in Gaza today
Egyptian security sources said mediators from Egypt and Qatar are working to secure US and international assurances that negotiations will continue, to encourage Hamas to accept the two-month ceasefire plan.
A separate source said Israel expects a response from Hamas by Friday. If positive, an Israeli delegation would join indirect negotiations to finalize the deal.
The proposed agreement includes a staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Of the 50 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, around 20 are thought to still be alive.
A senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said preparations were underway to approve the deal, even as the prime minister heads to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday.
'Readiness to advance'
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Ynet news site: “There is definitely readiness to advance a deal.”
In Gaza, however, violence persisted. At least 20 people were killed en route to an aid distribution site, medics at Nasser Hospital reported. In Gaza City, an Israeli strike on a school killed at least 17 people, according to medics.
The Israeli military said it targeted a key Hamas gunman at the school and had taken measures to minimize civilian harm.
Also read: Trump vows 'firm' stand with Netanyahu on Gaza ceasefire
“Suddenly, we found the tent collapsing over us and a fire burning. We don't know what happened,” said Wafaa Al-Arqan, who was sheltering at the school. “What can we do? Is it fair that all these children burned?”
The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, displacing much of the enclave's population of more than 2 million and causing widespread hunger and destruction.
Israel has said it will not end the war as long as Hamas remains armed and in control of Gaza. Hamas, while significantly weakened, says it will not disarm but is willing to release all remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war.
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