Hamas on Wednesday cracked open the door to a potential ceasefire with Israel but rejected President Donald Trump’s latest US-backed initiative unless it guarantees a permanent end to the war in Gaza.
Trump on Tuesday announced that Israel had agreed in principle to a 60-day pause in fighting, urging Hamas to seize what he called a narrowing window for a deal before conditions on the ground deteriorate even further. The president insisted the proposed truce could be the first step toward ending the war that has ravaged Gaza for nearly 21 months.
Hamas, however, responded by reiterating its hardline demand: that any ceasefire must fully end the war and include a total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“We are ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement,” said Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu, adding that the group would accept only initiatives “that clearly lead to the complete end to the war.”
An Egyptian official confirmed a Hamas delegation was due in Cairo Wednesday for fresh talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The official, who spoke anonymously due to diplomatic sensitivities, indicated Hamas’s position had not significantly softened despite Trump’s pressure campaign.
Israel, for its part, stayed silent on Trump’s announcement. Israeli leaders have repeatedly made clear that they will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled, disarmed, and effectively removed from Gaza — a demand Hamas flatly refuses.
Trump, viewing the regional chaos after Israel’s recent clash with Iran as an opportunity, has stepped up efforts to push both sides into a hostage-for-ceasefire framework. Under the US plan, Hamas would initially free 10 living Israeli hostages and return the remains of 18 dead captives in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Negotiations during that period would aim to secure a permanent end to the war and the release of dozens more hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to still be alive.
Hamas has made clear it will not settle for anything less than a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — a demand Israel has branded a nonstarter.
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4 Responses
They want nothing less then Israel’s surrender and… ה’ ישמור! In the meantime they are waiting for the international pressure on Israel to increase, thanks to all the pro-Palestinian protesters and politicians.
A wise choice by Hamas gives Israel more time to destroy more tunnels and kill more top Hamas militants.
In other words, we demand the right to keep on trying to kill you
Hopefully they will surrender. On another note, we are three weeks to the day over the two week deadline for putin to begin peace negotiations or face the consequences. Thank you President Taco.