Hamas has delivered its response to mediators to the latest hostage release/ceasefire deal and it is currently being examined by Israeli negotiators, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Thursday morning.

Hours earlier, Hamas had submitted a response with numerous new demands that infuriated the Arab mediators, who refused to transfer it to US envoy Steve Witkoff and threatened Hamas with consequences if it didn’t quickly produce a more reasonable response

Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbahh, who is involved in mediating between Hamas and the Trump administration, attacked Hamas’s conduct yesterday on his Facebook account: ““There is no convincing reason for delaying the response or demanding non-essential amendments,” he wrote, and slammed Hamas for its procrastination, which “has cost the Palestinian people dozens of victims daily.”

Channel 12 News quoted a senior Israeli official who said, “There was an improvement in Hamas’s response compared to yesterday. Now there is something to work with.”

Following Hamas’s “improved” response, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will meet with Witkoff and a senior Qatari official in Sardinia, Italy, later on Thursday.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)