Hamas is seeking firm assurances that a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal will ultimately bring the Gaza conflict to an end, a source close to the group said on Thursday, as Israeli airstrikes continued across the territory, killing at least 59 people, according to local health officials.
Israeli authorities said a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal now seems increasingly likely, nearly 21 months since the war began. The momentum for a ceasefire increased after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended a 12-day aerial clash between Israel and Iran, though heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza has persisted.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (4 July) it would probably be known in 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a "final proposal" for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza.
”We’ll see what happens, we’re going to know over the next 24 hours," said President Trump when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
On Tuesday, President Trump said Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire framework under which both sides would work toward ending the war. Hamas, however, wants clear guarantees that the temporary pause will transition into a permanent resolution. Two Israeli officials confirmed that these terms are still under negotiation.
Hamas said it is consulting with other Palestinian groups before responding to mediators. Egyptian and Qatari officials are trying to secure international guarantees to keep talks moving and persuade Hamas to accept the deal, Egyptian sources said.
An Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government was ready to approve the agreement. Another source said Israel expects Hamas’ reply by Friday and, if positive, an Israeli delegation would join indirect negotiations to finalise the arrangement.
The proposal includes the phased release of 10 Israeli hostages and the return of 18 bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Out of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza, only 20 are believed to be alive. Humanitarian aid would enter Gaza immediately, and Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from parts of the Strip. Talks on a permanent ceasefire would begin right away.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed cautious optimism, saying the final outcome depends on Hamas’ decision. He added that both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu want the war to end and confirmed upcoming White House talks involving Netanyahu.
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting on the ground has continued. Medics reported that Israeli fire killed 20 people heading to an aid site and another 17 died in a strike on a school in Gaza City. The Israeli army said it had targeted a Hamas fighter and tried to avoid civilian harm.
Witnesses described chaos and suffering.
"The tent collapsed on us, and everything was on fire", said Wafaa Al-Arqan, who was sheltering at the school. "What can we do? Is it fair for all these children to burn?"
The war began on 7 October, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's military response has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and displaced much of the population, causing severe humanitarian crises.
Israel insists it won't stop fighting until Hamas is dismantled. Hamas says it is ready to release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to convene the first high-level meeting under their newly estab...
In Nepal's Chitwan district, a region better known for its forests, wildlife and pilgrimage sites, authorit...
Seven people have died and 23 missing after a privately owned ferry carrying 267 people capsized off the coast of North Cyprus, Turkish C...
Iran is setting conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including an end to the war, the lifting of the U.S. blockade and sanctions. At the same time, Washington is stepping up economic pressure on Tehran through what the White House calls “Operation Economic Outcast.”
Mail sorting centres used by Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private postal company, were destroyed in Russian strikes overnight, the firm said. Elsewhere, four people were injured after drones struck an apartment building in Sevastopol, Crimea, according to the Moscow-installed governor.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to convene the first high-level meeting under their newly established Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, marking an early step in efforts to deepen military and security cooperation among the three countries.
In Nepal's Chitwan district, a region better known for its forests, wildlife and pilgrimage sites, authorities are carrying out mass burials for hundreds of victims of the country's devastating glacier-triggered floods as the scale of the disaster continues to unfold.
Seven people have died and 23 missing after a privately owned ferry carrying 267 people capsized off the coast of North Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot officials said.
NASA's new flagship astronomical observatory was launched into space from Florida on Sunday on a mission to probe some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment