Egypt, Qatar and the US are eagerly awaiting Hamas’ response to the latest truce proposal, while the movement confirmed on Friday that it is studying “in a positive spirit” Egypt’s proposal.
It added that a delegation will visit Cairo soon to complete the ongoing discussions.
A member of the Hamas political bureau, Hossam Badran, explained that the movement’s response to the initiative has been delayed due to its desire for the terms of the agreement to be clear.
Badran explained that there are guarantor parties for the negotiation process, such as the Egyptian, Qatari or American mediators, and that Hamas is dealing with the Egyptian proposal positively and is studying its provisions in coordination with all Palestinian factions.
He also denied claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the destruction of 80 percent of the resistance forces, stressing that Israel’s political, security and military prestige has been broken.
There are ongoing steps to reach Palestinian national unity at the invitations of Moscow and Beijing, Badran said, noting that there is no special demand from Hamas or its leaders to obtain a quota in a Palestinian consensus government.
The three stages of Egypt’s proposal
Regarding the Egyptian proposal, Badran explained that work on it has been ongoing since three months and is being studied at the highest levels, and the resistance movements and factions participating in the field are being consulted about it.
Sources close to Hamas explained that the implementation of the Egyptian proposal will take place in three stages – with the first stage lasting 40 days, the second 42 days, and the third 42 days.
These stages include the temporary cessation of military operations between the two sides, the withdrawal of Israeli forces eastward and away from densely populated areas, and the return of the displaced to northern Gaza Strip on the seventh day of the agreement’s entry into force.
The proposal stipulates stopping Israeli military aviation and reconnaissance in the Gaza Strip for eight hours a day, and for 10 hours on the days for the release of detainees and prisoners.
Regarding the exchange of prisoners during the first stage, the Egyptian proposal stipulates that Hamas will release 33 detainees, including all living Israeli detainees with civilian and soldier women, children under the age of 19, the elderly over the age of 50, and the sick and wounded.
In return, Israel releases 20 Palestinian children and women for every Israeli detainee, based on lists provided by Hamas according to the longest held detainees, and 20 elderly prisoners, on the condition that the remainder of their sentences do not exceed 10 years.
The proposal also stipulates that Hamas will release all living Israeli female soldiers who were in active military service on October 7, with Israel releasing 40 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier.
