Hamas agrees to US proposal for talks on Israeli hostages after 16-day delay

Hamas has agreed to a US proposal to initiate discussions regarding the release of Israeli hostages, which include soldiers and civilians.

This decision comes 16 days after the start of an agreement's first phase aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict, a senior Hamas source revealed to foreign media, Caliber.Az reports.

The militant group has abandoned its demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Instead, negotiations will now proceed during the initial six-week phase to achieve that goal, the source said anonymously due to the confidential nature of the talks.

A Palestinian official involved in international peace efforts suggested the proposal could pave the way for a framework agreement if accepted by Israel, potentially ending the nine-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

An Israeli negotiating team source, also speaking anonymously, acknowledged a genuine possibility of reaching an agreement, contrasting with past situations in the Gaza conflict when Hamas' conditions were deemed unacceptable by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on July 6, which is the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday, the office indicated that talks would resume next week, emphasizing the remaining differences between the parties.

According to Gaza health officials, the conflict has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian casualties since Hamas launched attacks on southern Israeli cities on October 7, with Israeli figures reporting 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages taken.

The new proposal includes mediator guarantees for a temporary ceasefire, humanitarian aid delivery, and Israeli troop withdrawal while indirect negotiations proceed to implement the agreement's second phase, the Hamas source explained.

Efforts to secure a ceasefire and negotiate hostage releases in Gaza have intensified recently, with active diplomacy involving Washington, Israel, and Qatar. Qatar, where Hamas' exiled leadership resides, is leading mediation efforts.

A regional source noted that the U.S. administration is making a concerted effort to reach a deal before the presidential election in November.

Netanyahu mentioned on Friday that the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned from initial talks in Qatar with mediators, with negotiations set to continue next week.