A top Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that the Palestinian group is ready to discuss a hostage deal and end the Gaza war without a “complete and permanent ceasefire”.
The apparent softening of Hamas’ position comes amid fresh mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to try to get the rivals to negotiate an end to their nine-month-long war and reach a deal to release hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held by Israel.
“Hamas first asked Israel to agree to a full and permanent ceasefire,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This move was circumvented because the mediators had pledged that the ceasefire would remain in place as long as talks regarding prisoners continued,” he said.
Officials said Israel has previously strongly opposed Hamas’ demands for a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the main goal of the Israeli military operation launched after the October 7 attacks was the destruction of Hamas and the return of all hostages.
US President Joe Biden on May 31 outlined a plan he said was similar to that proposed by Israel and promised “a roadmap to a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages”.
An Israeli negotiator went to Doha on Friday to hold talks with mediators. Israel said there were still “flaws” in the counter-proposals put forward by Hamas, but negotiators would return to Doha this week.
US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns will also visit Qatar this week, an official familiar with the mediation said.
The Hamas official said Egypt and Turkey would also step up their efforts to reach an agreement in the coming days.
According to the official, if full talks begin, Hamas expects them to take two to three weeks.
Biden said the Israeli plan first proposes a six-week ceasefire, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas of the Gaza Strip and the initial release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for some of the hostages captured on October 7.
The Hamas official said it would like 400 truckloads of aid to arrive daily in the besieged Palestinian territory if a ceasefire holds.
The war began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,195 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli data.
According to Israel, Hamas has also taken 251 hostages. Of the 116 hostages remaining in Gaza, the Israeli military believes 42 have died.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 38,153 people, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
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