Displaced Palestinians leave an area of Khan Yunis after the Israeli army issued a new evacuation order, which the UN called the largest since the Israel-Hamas war began
AFP

Hamas has agreed to a U.S. proposal to initiate negotiations regarding the release of Israeli hostages, which include soldiers and civilians. This decision comes 16 days after the start of an agreement intended to bring an end to the Gaza conflict, according to a senior Hamas source who spoke to Reuters on Saturday.

According to an anonymous source briefed on the private negotiations, the militant Islamist group has abandoned its requirement for Israel to first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Instead, Hamas is now open to negotiating towards achieving a permanent ceasefire throughout the initial six-week phase of the agreement.

According to a Palestinian official involved in internationally mediated peace initiatives, the proposal, if accepted by Israel, could potentially establish a framework agreement and bring an end to the nine-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

An anonymous source from Israel's negotiating team expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement, which contrasts sharply with past instances during the nine-month Gaza war when Israel found Hamas's conditions unacceptable.

Since October 7, according to Gaza health officials, over 38,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the conflict, while official Israeli sources report 1,200 deaths and the capture of around 250 hostages during Hamas attacks on southern Israeli cities.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told AFP "The movement expects a response from Israel to its proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza today or tomorrow. If the response is positive, we will discuss the proposals in detail. The movement's military capabilities in the Gaza Strip are still in a good position for the continuation of the war."

A source from the region indicated that the US administration is making concerted efforts to reach an agreement before the presidential election in November.

Netanyahu mentioned on Friday that the director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned after an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar, and he confirmed that negotiations would resume next week.

Israel