Hamas open to Washington-backed 60-day ceasefire
CAIRO—Hamas and Israel staked out their positions on Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that “there will be no Hamas” in postwar Gaza.
Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced on Tuesday by US President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its long-standing position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.
Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement.
Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war—something Israel says it won’t accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week.
‘Ready and serious’
But Hamas’ response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.” He said Hamas was “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.”
A Hamas delegation was expected to meet on Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the talks with the media.
Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal.
Hamas said in a brief statement on Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” to return to the negotiating table.
‘No Hamas’
Hamas has said it’s willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do.
“I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
