Hamas Agrees to U.S. Proposal for Hostage Release Talks in Gaza

Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin negotiations on releasing Israeli hostages captured during the Gaza war. The Islamist group has dropped its demand for a permanent ceasefire before talks and agreed to negotiate during a six-week first phase. This development could potentially end the nine-month-old conflict.

Hamas has agreed to a U.S. proposal to commence discussions on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and civilians, 16 days after the initial phase of an agreement aimed at concluding the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source revealed to Reuters on Saturday. The militant Islamist group abandoned its demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, allowing negotiations to extend throughout the six-week first phase, the source added under anonymity as the talks are confidential.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts indicated that the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if Israel consents, potentially ending the nine-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. An Israeli negotiation team source described a real chance of reaching an agreement, contrasting sharply with previous instances where Israel found Hamas's conditions unacceptable.

An Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Saturday due to the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday, Netanyahu's office mentioned that talks would persist next week, noting that significant gaps remain between the sides. Gaza health officials report that the conflict has claimed over 38,000 Palestinian lives since Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on Oct. 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths and about 250 hostages, according to Israeli data.

The new proposal guarantees mediators would oversee a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery, and Israeli troop withdrawal as indirect talks proceed to implement the second agreement phase, the Hamas source stated. Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release have intensified through active shuttle diplomacy among Washington, Israel, and Qatar, which leads mediation efforts from Doha where Hamas's exiled leadership resides.

A regional source reported that the U.S. administration is urgently seeking a deal before November's presidential election. Netanyahu announced on Friday that the Mossad intelligence agency chief had returned from a preliminary meeting with mediators in Qatar, with further negotiations slated for next week. (Reporting and writing by Samia Nakhoul and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and William Mallard)

(With inputs from agencies.)