Hamas on Monday addressed the new US-backed hostage-ceasefire proposal conveyed through Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin and Dr. Bishara Bahbah, saying that there are several roadblocks that need to be addressed to reach a deal, sources from the terror group told Asharq al Awsat on Monday.
Qatari Prime Minister Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani reportedly pressed Hamas leaders to "respond positively" to the latest US-proposed plan during talks in Doha on Monday, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
Hamas sources said that the proposal presented to them contains "many traps and pitfalls that need to be dismantled," adding that they are focused on a deal that would end the war.
The terror group added that it would be difficult to release several hostages already on the first day of a deal, as some hostages were killed in locations where the IDF would need to halt fire in order to extract them from under the rubble in areas where they were killed, or from places where they were buried after Israeli forces entered, Asharq al Awsat reported.
According to the Hamas sources, the current discussions do not mention an Israeli withdrawal from critical corridors, such as the Philadelphi Corridor, or reopening the Rafah crossing. The terrorist group told Asharq al Awsat that they are seeking guarantees to reach the war's end, backed by guarantor countries such as the US.
The new US-backed proposal has been delivered to Hamas over the past few days in an effort to secure the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The initiative, conveyed through Baskin and Bahbah, outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
According to the plan, Hamas would release all 48 hostages, including those believed to be alive and the bodies of the dead, on the first day of the agreement. In exchange, US President Donald Trump would offer a personal assurance that hostilities will not resume until negotiations between Israel and Hamas yield a resolution.
The proposal also calls for the release of between 2,000 and 3,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including those convicted of murder. It further stipulates the cancellation of Israel’s planned military operation in Gaza City, as well as the immediate start of talks to bring the war to a close.
IDF would remain in Gaza over course of US-backed truce
Despite the proposal, Israeli troops would remain in parts of the Gaza Strip, maintaining a limited presence in designated zones.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said Hamas is unlikely to accept the terms.
“Hamas would essentially be giving up the hostages on day one in return for a presidential guarantee,” one source told the Post. “As important as that may be, what happens if the negotiations collapse? Hamas would have lost all of its leverage.”
A senior official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is giving “very serious consideration” to the proposal, although he acknowledged the likelihood of Hamas continuing its refusal.
Senior Hamas official states proposals do not guarantee ceasefire
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera on Monday that the ceasefire proposals "do not guarantee a ceasefire."
The proposals "do not protect the Palestinian people, do not stop the destruction and killing, do not stipulate a clear withdrawal, and leave many issues vague: humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and a real prisoner exchange deal," Mardawi claimed.
Mardawi also reaffirmed Hamas's claims that Netanyahu is "not interested in negotiations," and is personally acting as an obstacle.