Hamas Agrees to U.S. Proposal for Hostages Negotiations, Dropping Ceasefire Demand

Hamas has agreed to a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages without first demanding a permanent ceasefire. The discussions could lead to a framework agreement ending the nine-month-old Gaza war. The conflict has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian casualties and 1,200 Israeli deaths.

Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to start negotiations on releasing Israeli hostages, including both soldiers and civilians, a senior Hamas source revealed on Saturday. This comes 16 days after the first phase of an agreement intended to halt the Gaza conflict was put in place.

The militant Islamist group has dropped its earlier demand that Israel must commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Instead, Hamas is willing to allow negotiations aimed at achieving that over a first six-week period. This information was disclosed by a source to Reuters, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the talks. A Palestinian official, who is close to the internationally mediated peace efforts, mentioned that the proposal could result in a framework agreement, provided Israel embraces it, potentially ending the nine-month war in Gaza.

According to Gaza health authorities, the conflict has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian fatalities. The war began on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israeli cities, killing 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. The Hamas source indicated that the proposal includes guarantees from mediators for a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery, and withdrawal of Israeli troops, as long as indirect negotiations continue for the second phase of the agreement.

(With inputs from agencies.)