A senior Hamas source revealed on Saturday that a revised proposal for a Hamas-Israel agreement stipulates that negotiations to release Israeli hostages, including soldiers and other men, will commence within a 16-day period following the initial phase of the agreement. The source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the talks, stated that Hamas has abandoned its initial demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire prior to signing the agreement. Instead, it will allow for negotiations to achieve this goal during the first six-week phase.
A Palestinian official involved in the international peace mediation efforts noted that if accepted by Israel, the proposal could establish a framework agreement and bring an end to the nine-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Hamas source emphasized that the proposal guarantees a temporary ceasefire, the delivery of aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, provided that indirect talks continue to advance the second phase of the agreement.
According to a previous Reuters report, Israel received Hamas' response on July 3 to a proposal unveiled at the end of May by US President Joe Biden, which included the release of approximately 120 hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. The plan involves the phased release of Israeli hostages still detained in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. The third phase focuses on the reconstruction of the war-ravaged area and the repatriation of the remains of deceased hostages.
