GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official stated on Tuesday that the group is expected to respond within 48 hours to Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, which was delivered through international mediators.
“Hamas will most likely send its response to the mediators within the next 48 hours, as internal consultations are still ongoing,” the official told AFP.
Hamas confirmed on Monday that it had received Israel’s new proposal aimed at halting the war in Gaza, now entering its 18th month.
The proposal reportedly includes a 45-day truce in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza. In return, Israel would release 1,231 Palestinian prisoners and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged territory, which has been under total blockade since March 2.
The deal also outlines a path toward a “permanent end to the war,” contingent on all Palestinian factions in Gaza — including Hamas — agreeing to disarm. Hamas has firmly rejected that condition, calling disarmament a “red line” and “non-negotiable.”
Israel has not officially commented on the contents of the proposal.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack — which triggered the ongoing war — 58 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military stating that 34 of them are believed to be dead.
