Hamas announced late Sunday its acceptance of a 60-day ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, marking the most serious opportunity in months to pause hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
The deal, which follows a new round of indirect negotiations in Cairo, could serve as a precursor to broader efforts to stabilize Gaza, even as the political and military future of the enclave remains deeply contested.
According to Taher Al-Nunu, media advisor to the head of Hamas’s political bureau, the proposal does not include any provision requiring the disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups, an issue Hamas has long viewed as non-negotiable.
The terms of the proposed ceasefire include the release of 10 Israeli captives held alive by Palestinian factions, along with half of the bodies currently in custody, in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
The plan also calls for an Israeli military withdrawal from the Morag corridor and the Rafah area, up to the edge of the designated buffer zone—both longstanding Hamas demands in ceasefire talks.
In a brief statement on Telegram, Hamas confirmed that it and other Palestinian factions had agreed to the terms put forward by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The ball, Hamas implied, is now in Israel’s court.
Despite the announcement, Israel’s leadership has offered no public response. However, Reuters reported that an Israeli official acknowledged receipt of the proposal. Whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will engage with the terms remains unclear.
Just days earlier, on Aug. 8, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan for the “full military takeover” of Gaza City.
On Saturday, the Israeli army announced plans to begin distributing tents and shelter equipment to civilians in Gaza, in what it described as a precautionary measure for relocating populations to the south “for their own safety.”
The move was widely interpreted as a prelude to further ground operations in northern Gaza, heightening fears of renewed displacement and escalated conflict.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Al-Nunu emphasized that Hamas had “fulfilled its national duty” by agreeing to a framework that could end the war, despite what he described as Israeli obstructionism.
“On the first day of implementing the agreement, negotiations will begin on the comprehensive phase to end the war,” Al-Nunu added.
He reiterated that the proposal contains “no clause related to disarming the resistance,” and said Hamas had yet to receive any specific conditions from Israel in response to the latest draft. Still, he noted, “all scenarios remain on the table.”
Al-Nunu also voiced support for the Gaza administrative committee proposed by the Palestinian Authority, stating that Hamas had “no objection” to its formation and would be ready for the committee to begin operating “as early as tomorrow.”
According to him, the committee was formed as part of a broader Arab-Islamic reconstruction initiative led by Egypt, and will consist of 15 nonpartisan members tasked with managing Gaza’s affairs for six months. After that transitional period, administrative control would be handed over to the PA.
While the Hamas endorsement raises cautious hopes for a temporary truce, it comes against the backdrop of failed efforts to implement a lasting ceasefire.
In March, Israel rejected the continuation of a previous agreement originally approved in January, resuming military operations in Gaza shortly thereafter.
Despite ongoing mediation efforts, no comprehensive agreement has been reached to end the war or establish a durable framework for Gaza’s future.
