News - Middle East: Palestinian resistance group Hamas says it has responded in “a positive spirit” to the Gaza ceasefire proposal and is prepared to enter talks about implementing the agreement, which includes the exchange of captives and negotiations to end the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on Gaza.

The Gaza-based group announced in a statement on Saturday that it had completed its internal deliberations as well as consultations with other Palestinian resistance groups regarding the latest proposal to halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza.

“The movement [Hamas] has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework,” read the statement.

The agreement would include a 60-day ceasefire with a phased release of Israeli captives by Hamas in return for the entrance of increased humanitarian aid to the besieged territory.

The proposed exchange includes the release of 10 living and 18 dead Israeli captives from the “List of 58.” Releases would occur on days 1, 7, 30, 50, and 60, beginning with 8 live captives on the first day.

In return, aid would flow into Gaza immediately following Hamas’s approval, in quantities comparable to the January 2025 agreement. Distribution would be handled by agencies including the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

As part of the proposed ceasefire, all Israeli military assaults would stop once the agreement takes effect. The deal includes a pause in military and surveillance flights over Gaza for 10 hours each day, or 12 hours on days when captives and abductees are exchanged.

Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire agreement would begin on day one under the supervision of mediators. Talks would cover a full exchange of captives for Palestinian abductees, future security arrangements, and Israeli troops’ withdrawal.

Accordingly, Hamas’ ally, the Palestinian resistance group the Islamic Jihad said on Saturday that it supports plans for talks between Hamas and Israel on a ceasefire in Gaza, but demanded “guarantees” that the process would lead to a permanent ceasefire.

“We presented [Hamas] a number of detailed points on the mechanism for putting in place the mediators’ proposal, and we want additional guarantees to assure us [that Israel] will not resume its aggression after [the captives] are freed,” the group said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump says the Israeli regime has accepted the mainframe of the ceasefire agreement, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly endorse the proposal.

Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes in Gaza, is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Monday.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 57,268 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded 135,625, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was also reached on January 17. The agreement went into effect on January 19.

Israel resumed its genocidal war on Gaza on March 18, killing at least 400 people in overnight attacks, shattering the two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel, with backing from the United States, decided to remove itself from the negotiations for phase two of the ceasefire deal that would ultimately see an end to the war and the release of all Israeli captives still being held in Gaza.

Source: Press TV