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Hamas has confirmed that it has formally responded to a recent Israeli proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, following more than two weeks of indirect negotiations in Qatar that have yet to yield a breakthrough.
In a statement released on Telegram on Thursday, the Palestinian militant group said, “Hamas has just submitted its response and that of the Palestinian factions to the ceasefire proposal to the mediators.”
According to a Palestinian source involved in the Doha talks, the response included suggested revisions to key elements of the proposal, such as the delivery of humanitarian aid, details of Israeli military withdrawal maps, and assurances aimed at securing a permanent end to the conflict.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, with mediators facilitating the dialogue in Doha, have been ongoing in an effort to secure a ceasefire that would also involve the release of Israeli hostages. Out of the 251 people captured during Hamas’s assault on Israel in 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 whom the Israeli military has declared dead.
Despite the sustained diplomatic efforts, both sides have accused one another of refusing to compromise on their respective core demands. Israel insists that any agreement must involve the dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing infrastructure, while Hamas is calling for unequivocal guarantees of a lasting ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the unrestricted delivery of aid.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said on Wednesday that Hamas was the obstacle to progress. “Israel has agreed to the Qatari proposal and the updated proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff. It is Hamas that is refusing,” he told journalists. He added that the Israeli negotiating team remains in Doha and that discussions are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, the United States confirmed that Witkoff will travel to Europe this week for further consultations on securing a potential ceasefire and establishing a humanitarian aid corridor.
Warnings over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza continue to mount. More than 100 aid and human rights organisations have jointly raised the alarm, stating that “mass starvation” is now taking hold in the territory.
