Hamas said Friday it had responded “in a positive spirit” to a new ceasefire proposal aimed at halting its nearly 21-month war with Israel. The group indicated it was ready to enter talks on implementing the U.S.-backed framework, which includes the release of hostages and negotiations to end the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week presented what he described as a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire and said he expected replies from both parties within hours.
In a statement published on its official website, Hamas said:
“The Hamas movement has completed its internal consultations as well as discussions with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the latest proposal by the mediators to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza.
The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”
Despite the public statement, key issues remain unresolved. A Palestinian official from a militant group aligned with Hamas said concerns persisted over humanitarian aid delivery, access through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and the lack of a clear timetable for Israeli troop withdrawal.
Political Friction and Delays
President Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalise” the 60-day truce. The plan, he said, was aimed at creating a window to negotiate a broader resolution to the war in Gaza.
A Palestinian boy inspects the damage at an UNRWA school sheltering displaced people that was hit in an an overnight Israeli strike, in Gaza City, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to publicly comment on the U.S. proposal. In past statements, Netanyahu has reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed — a demand Hamas has consistently refused, while still believed to be holding around 20 living hostages.
The conflict has caused widespread displacement across Gaza, with every resident now considered displaced, according to aid agencies. The war has also sparked international legal action: Israel is facing genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice and war crimes investigations at the International Criminal Court — both of which it denies.
A previous ceasefire collapsed on March 18 after Israeli strikes killed more than 400 Palestinians in a single day. Earlier this year, Trump drew condemnation from human rights experts and the United Nations after proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza, a plan described as a form of ethnic cleansing.
Violence Continues on the Ground
While diplomatic efforts appear to gain traction, the humanitarian toll is escalating. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local reports. A hospital also said that another 20 people were killed by gunfire as they attempted to access aid.
Palestinian man Hassan Al-Ashi kisses the body of his sister, Hanaa, who was killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
The U.N. human rights office said it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid. The majority were reportedly shot while approaching food distribution sites operated either by an Israeli-backed American organization or international agencies such as the United Nations.
Despite mounting pressure, the Hamas response marks the first public sign of flexibility from the group in weeks — potentially opening the door to renewed negotiations, even as fighting continues.
