Hamas officials say they have not yet submitted a written response to the ceasefire proposal, contradicting earlier Israeli media reports that claimed the Palestinian group had agreed to the deal.
“Contrary to reports, the Hamas terror organisation has not yet returned its response to the deal,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement.
Israeli media, including The Times of Israel, had reported that officials in Jerusalem expected the deal to be signed imminently, with implementation possibly beginning as early as Sunday following supreme court appeals.
Under the proposed agreement, Hamas would release 33 hostages, including women, elderly and wounded, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The deal would also include a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the reopening of the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid.
Though some members of Netanyahu’s coalition oppose the deal, sources suggest he commands sufficient support across the Knesset and government for implementation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday they were “on the brink” of an agreement, awaiting “final word from Hamas”.
A senior Hamas official told Reuters the group had not delivered its official response because Israel had not submitted maps showing troop withdrawal plans from Gaza areas, though an Israeli source denied this claim to Haaretz newspaper.
The proposed deal outlines a three-phase process, beginning with a six-week ceasefire. According to a Palestinian official, Hamas would release three hostages on day one, after which Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman expressed optimism about reaching an agreement “very soon”, whilst cautioning that minor details could still derail the process.
The negotiations come amid continuing violence. The Israeli military reported strikes on more than 50 targets across Gaza in the past day, whilst the territory’s health ministry reported 62 deaths in the same period.
In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, an overnight Israeli strike killed 11 people, including four children, according to the Civil Defence agency. Seven others reportedly died in a strike on a school housing displaced families in Gaza City.
The Israeli military said it targeted a “terrorist who served in a central position” at a Gaza City school, and conducted operations against Hamas operatives in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, adding that steps were taken to minimise civilian casualties.
The conflict, which began after Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 taken hostage, has claimed more than 46,700 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israel has also killed around 3,000 in Lebanon and Syria, while around 3 million people have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war.
According to Israel, 94 hostages remain in captivity, with 34 presumed dead. Four additional Israelis were abducted before the war, two of whom are deceased.
Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.
Read more:
