Hamas agrees on talks to free Israeli hostages M Haris

— Mossad chief’s solo Qatar visit fuels ceasefire hope

GAZA: Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source said on Saturday.

Hamas has dropped a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts had said the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel and would end the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The war erupted after Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.

The Hamas source said the proposal ensures that mediators would guarantee a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery and withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement.

The war has displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans and caused a humanitarian crisis. It has also fuelled tension across the region, triggering exchanges of fire across Israel’s northern border with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said it had told Hezbollah it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and that the Lebanese group’s leader had welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said.

“If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon,” said one of the sources, an official in Hezbollah, which says its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel are in support of the Palestinians.

Turkey’s president, Tayyip Erdogan, was quoted by Turkish media as saying he hoped a “final ceasefire” could be secured “in a couple of days”, and urged Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept the terms on offer.

Some far-right partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition have indicated they may quit the government if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. Their departure would probably end Netanyahu’s premiership.

Israel’s Channel 7 News reported that, at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, far-right coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir had accused security and defence officials of deciding to resume the Gaza talks without consulting him.

Hamas’ new proposal responded to a plan made public in late May by U.S. President Joe Biden that would include releasing about 120 hostages still held in Gaza and a ceasefire.

The plan entails gradually releasing hostages and Israeli forces pulling back over an initial two phases, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase involves Gaza’s reconstruction.

David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, made a solo trip to Doha to meet Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, amid renewed efforts towards a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, according to the BBC.

Following the meeting, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office acknowledged existing gaps between the two sides, tempering earlier optimism. Israeli officials had already cautioned against high expectations.

The latest developments follow Hamas’s response to President Biden’s three-phase proposal, with initial indications suggesting a more positive Israeli reception compared to previous months. Sources within Israel’s negotiating team hinted at a “significant breakthrough” in Hamas’s latest proposal, potentially aligning with key aspects of Biden’s framework.

While details of Hamas’s proposal remain undisclosed, it could be its apparent willingness to negotiate towards a permanent ceasefire, rather than demanding it as the starting point. This development places pressure on Netanyahu, who has consistently advocated for dismantling Hamas and preserving Israel’s military autonomy in Gaza.

Amid internal and external pressures, including from Israel’s military leadership urging ceasefire discussions despite Hamas’s governance, Netanyahu faces mounting public and international demands for resolution. Meanwhile, Hamas confronts growing internal discontent and external diplomatic pressures from regional allies and mediators like Egypt and Qatar.

Broader regional tensions and international concerns, including the potential for escalation between Israel and Hezbollah underscore the urgency to resolve the Gaza conflict. A ceasefire in Gaza could alleviate these tensions and provide a diplomatic win for the Biden administration.

As hopes for progress resurface, the international community watches closely, hopeful that current efforts will endure against previous setbacks.