Hamas has submitted what it called a “positive response” to international mediators regarding the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire and hostage release proposal, expressing readiness to begin negotiations immediately.
The group confirmed on Friday that it accepted the general framework of the proposed deal but submitted amendments, including a key demand for a U.S. guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks for a permanent ceasefire break down. A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Hamas is seeking clarification on specific provisions, while broadly accepting the terms.
There has been no immediate response from Israel or the United States. Both countries have previously dismissed similar conditions. However, on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire under “necessary conditions” and urged Hamas to accept the plan. “It will not get better – it will only get worse,” he warned.
The proposed agreement reportedly involves the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of 18 bodies, in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. It also includes provisions for humanitarian aid delivery under the supervision of the UN and Red Cross. However, Hamas has opposed continued involvement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the U.S., in aid distribution.
Other key Hamas demands include a full Israeli military withdrawal to pre-March positions, a term not fully reflected in the current proposal, which instead outlines phased pullbacks.
Despite the diplomatic progress, Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza on Friday. The Hamas-run health ministry reported 138 Palestinian deaths in the past 24 hours, including 15 displaced civilians sheltering near Khan Younis.
“The ceasefire will come, and I have lost my brother? There should have been a ceasefire long ago,” said 13-year-old Mayar al-Farr, mourning her brother Mahmoud. Another grieving relative, Adlar Mouamar, said: “We want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war.”
The Israeli military has not commented directly on the latest strikes but said operations were ongoing to “dismantle Hamas military capabilities.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations reported growing casualties. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed a staff member was injured by stray gunfire at its Rafah field hospital. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said a former staffer was killed while waiting for aid in Khan Younis, where 16 people reportedly died.
“The systemic and deliberate starvation of Palestinians for over 100 days is pushing people in Gaza to breaking point,” said MSF emergency coordinator Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa. “This carnage must stop now.”
The UN Human Rights Office reported that at least 509 people had been killed near GHF aid centres and 104 near convoys, citing initial evidence that Israeli forces had fired on civilians. The GHF rejected the claims, accusing the UN of relying on figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which it called unreliable.
In Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages rallied outside the U.S. Embassy, urging President Trump to finalise a deal. A banner with the U.S. flag and the phrase “liberty for all” was displayed along the beachfront.
“There has to be a final, detailed agreement between Israel and Hamas,” said Ruby Chen, father of Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, killed in the October 7 attack. “Only a comprehensive deal can bring them all home,” added Keith Siegel, a former hostage released earlier this year.
Visiting Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that the war would continue until all hostages are returned and Hamas’s military infrastructure is dismantled. “We will bring them all back,” he said.
Israel’s military offensive began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Since then, at least 57,268 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
