Hamas signals openness to comprehensive Gaza deal amid ongoing conflict

Hamas has indicated a willingness to engage in negotiations aimed at securing a comprehensive Gaza agreement that would end the protracted conflict in the Palestinian enclave and facilitate the release of all hostages it holds, sources said.

According to informed sources, the framework for such a deal is currently under discussion between Israel and the United States on one side, and US officials in coordination with mediators from Qatar and Egypt on the other, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

These deliberations are taking place both remotely and through in-person meetings in Cairo and Doha, with expectations that the agreement could be finalized during a proposed 60-day truce in the nearly two-year war.

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently informed families of hostages held by Hamas that he is working alongside the Israeli government on a plan intended to effectively bring the conflict to an end. Trump himself has reiterated that ending the war is a priority for his administration.

“We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war,” Witkoff stated during his meeting with the hostages’ families.

While Witkoff claimed Hamas was prepared to disarm to end the conflict, the militant group quickly denied this assertion, affirming that it will not cease its “armed resistance” unless an “independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital” is established.

This renewed push for a comprehensive agreement marks a shift from previous efforts, which included a 60-day truce, the release of a limited number of hostages, and partial redeployment of Israeli forces to facilitate humanitarian aid. Those talks faltered after Hamas proposed amendments focused on the scope of Israeli redeployment and the release of high-profile Palestinian prisoners.

Sources indicated that Hamas views this comprehensive deal as an opportunity to advance its long-standing demands for an Israeli withdrawal and a permanent cessation of hostilities. They also suggested Hamas aims to safeguard its future by gradually transforming into a political entity through an internationally supervised process, during which it would lay down and store its weapons.

“Hamas wants to hold out for as long as it can,” one source explained. “It wants to stay in the picture until the last possible moment to safeguard its existence and ensure the safety of its fighters and leaders.”

The group is also keen to use a long-term ceasefire to protect hundreds of operatives sheltered within Gaza’s extensive tunnel network and to secure safe passage for its leadership to temporary exile.

Despite these talks, sources caution that Israel remains committed to its military and security objectives in Gaza, including efforts to relocate large segments of the population and establish no-go zones. “The grand plan remains for Israel to create conditions on the ground that leave the Palestinians little choice but to seek a dignified and secure life elsewhere,” a source said, adding that forced evictions remain a possibility.

The conflict, which erupted following a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities in October 2023, has resulted in over 60,000 Palestinian deaths and the displacement of the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which are regarded as credible by the UN.

As humanitarian concerns mount, the ongoing dialogue offers a fragile glimmer of hope for a resolution to one of the region’s most devastating conflicts.

By Vafa Guliyeva