As the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza stretched, the militant group Hamas has now agreed to a proposal put forth by the United States to commence negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages.
This decision comes 16 days after the initiation of a deal aimed at bringing an end to the nine-month-long war in the region, as per a senior Hamas source who spoke to Reuters on Saturday.
Insisting on certain conditions, Hamas has stated that Israel must first commit to a permanent ceasefire before finalizing the agreement. The group is open to discussions to achieve this goal during the initial six-week phase of negotiations, as revealed by the source who requested anonymity citing the confidential nature of the talks.
A Palestinian official involved in the mediation efforts towards a truce mentioned that the acceptance of the proposal could lead to a comprehensive framework agreement if approved by Israel, potentially bringing an end to the conflict that began in Gaza on October 7 last year, claiming over 38,000 lives.
The conflict escalated when Hamas militants launched a series of attacks on southern Israeli towns using air, land, and sea methods, resulting in the capture of approximately 250 hostages. The attack also led to the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis.
According to the Hamas source, the US proposal includes provisions for mediators to ensure a temporary ceasefire, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and oversee the retreat of Israeli troops while indirect talks progress towards implementing the second phase of the agreement.
