Hamas agrees to 60-day ceasefire framework, US-backed talks with Israel aim to end Gaza War

File image

Hamas has accepted the framework of a new 60-day cease-fire and hostage-release deal in Gaza, paving the way for US-backed negotiations with Israel aimed at a permanent end to the war, according to Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

The proposed agreement, mediated by Egypt and Qatar and presented by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, includes the exchange of 10 living hostages—out of the approximately 20 Israel believes are still alive—along with the bodies of some of the roughly 30 deceased hostages, in return for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Hamas confirmed it has submitted its response to the mediators and is “fully ready and serious to immediately enter a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”

US President Donald Trump has urged a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, stating this week that Israel has agreed to the necessary terms for a deal. “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal because it won’t get better, it will only get worse,” Trump said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Monday.

Negotiations remain tense over Hamas’s demand that any agreement must ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war a condition Israel has so far refused to accept.

The two parties still need to finalize key details before signing the deal, including a proposed three-month pause in Israeli military operations and the restoration of humanitarian aid, such as food supplies.

The  proposal under consideration is similar to ones that have been on the table for months , according to the WSJ.

“The guarantors and mediators—the United States, Egypt, and Qatar—will ensure that the ceasefire will continue for a period of 60 days and will ensure that serious discussions will be held on the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire,” the latest proposal reads.

Hamas isolated 

This comes as Hamas finds itself increasingly isolated, with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and patron Iran under heavy Israeli attacks. Most of Hamas’s military leadership in Gaza has been eliminated by Israeli forces, and the group is now operating under its third leader in just eight months.

Palestinians continue to suffer from severe hunger and live under the constant threat of Israeli airstrikes. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly attack that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 Israelis hostage.