Hamas has delivered what it called a “positive response” to the latest U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal, saying it is “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations.” The announcement came late Friday, but the group did not say whether it had accepted all of the plan’s terms.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Hamas had requested several amendments, including the dismantling of a U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid distribution system and an American guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks failed to produce a permanent agreement.
The White House has yet to issue an official comment. President Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, welcomed Hamas’ response, calling it “good news,” and added, “There could be a Gaza deal next week.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington in the coming days, and analysts believe Trump is eager to present a diplomatic breakthrough during the visit.
Under the proposal, Israel and Hamas would enter a 60-day ceasefire during which negotiations on ending the war would take place. In the interim, Hamas would release 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. According to Israeli sources, around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The plan also calls for immediate humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, coordinated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). But Hamas is demanding that all aid be managed solely by international agencies and that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the group accuses of favoritism and lack of transparency, be dissolved.
The most contentious issue remains the military component. The U.S. plan reportedly includes phased Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of the Strip. However, Hamas insists that forces return to the positions they held prior to the collapse of the last ceasefire in March. The group is also demanding a formal U.S. commitment to prevent Israel from resuming air or ground operations if a final agreement cannot be reached.
So far, Israel has refrained from commenting. Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the war will not end until all hostages are freed and Hamas’ military and governing infrastructure is dismantled. That position is backed by several far-right ministers in his government, who have called for an intensification of military operations and a suspension of aid deliveries.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported at least 138 Palestinian deaths over the previous 24 hours. Among them were 15 people killed Thursday night near two tents sheltering displaced civilians in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to local health officials.
The Israeli military did not confirm the strikes but said its forces were “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities.”
Médecins Sans Frontières said one of its former staff members was among at least 16 people killed Thursday when Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on civilians waiting for aid trucks in Khan Younis. The Israeli military has not responded to the claim.
The UN Human Rights Office said it had documented the deaths of 509 people near GHF aid centers and another 104 near aid convoys. A spokeswoman said those figures were still being verified but added that “it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points.”
GHF strongly denied the allegations, saying the numbers came “directly” from Gaza’s Health Ministry and were being used to “falsely smear” the foundation’s work. Its chairman maintained that “there have been no violent incidents at or near our sites.” The Israeli military also dismissed the reports as “lies.”
The conflict began after Hamas launched a deadly assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to Gaza health authorities, the death toll in the enclave has since risen above 57,000.
