A new truce opportunity in Gaza: are Hamas and Israel ready for negotiations?

A new stage may begin on the long-awaited road to peace in the Gaza Strip — the Hamas organization responded “in a positive spirit” to the new ceasefire proposal put forward with US mediation, reports reuters.com. According to the source, Hamas announced full readiness to begin negotiations for the release of hostages and to put an end to the conflict within the framework of this agreement.

US President Donald Trump actively participated in this process and recently announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire to stop the war between Israel and Hamas that has been going on for nearly two years. The fact that responses from both sides are expected soon shows how urgent and critical the situation is.

In its official statement, Hamas said it had completed internal consultations and negotiations with Palestinian factions and presented its response to the mediating countries — Qatar, Egypt, and the US. Hamas stated that it is ready to begin a new round of negotiations on the implementation mechanisms of the agreement in the near future.

At the same time, sources close to the process point out that there are still serious concerns — such as humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing, and the schedule for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. The New York Times writes that it is not yet clear what changes Hamas is demanding to the agreement or whether these differences can be resolved easily. There have previously been cases where such deals failed at the last minute due to technical and political details.

According to available information, the new proposal foresees that during the 60-day truce, 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased will be handed over, in exchange for which a certain number of Palestinian prisoners will be released. All releases will take place in five stages, and this time Hamas commits not to hold televised ceremonies, which previously caused great dissatisfaction on the Israeli side.

The truce process will be strictly controlled by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, and they will also organize negotiations for a full end to the war. President Trump, in his statement, said, “There won’t be anything better — it will only get worse,” addressing both Israel and Hamas.

Currently, the main obstacle to negotiations is the question of the truce’s permanence. Hamas is demanding a complete end to the war before releasing all remaining hostages, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on the need for the total destruction of Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities.

According to political analysts, this round of negotiations may also end in failure — as happened with previous attempts, due to significant political differences and minor technicalities. However, all Palestinians and the international community hope that this process will finally bring real peace and stability to the region. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!