Hamas agrees on talks to free Israeli hostages

Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source said on Saturday.

Hamas has dropped a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts had said the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel and would end the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The war erupted after Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.

The Hamas source said the proposal ensures that mediators would guarantee a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery and withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement.

HEZBOLLAH-HAMAS TALKS

The war has displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans and caused a humanitarian crisis. It has also fuelled tension across the region, triggering exchanges of fire across Israel’s northern border with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said it had told Hezbollah it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and that the Lebanese group’s leader had welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said.

“If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon,” said one of the sources, an official in Hezbollah, which says its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel are in support of the Palestinians.

ISRAELI FAR-RIGHT PARTNERS’ CONCERNS

Turkey’s president, Tayyip Erdogan, was quoted by Turkish media as saying he hoped a “final ceasefire” could be secured “in a couple of days”, and urged Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept the terms on offer.

Some far-right partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition have indicated they may quit the government if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. Their departure would probably end Netanyahu’s premiership.

Israel’s Channel 7 News reported that, at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, far-right coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir had accused security and defence officials of deciding to resume the Gaza talks without consulting him.

Hamas’ new proposal responded to a plan made public in late May by U.S. President Joe Biden that would include releasing about 120 hostages still held in Gaza and a ceasefire.

The plan entails gradually releasing hostages and Israeli forces pulling back over an initial two phases, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase involves Gaza’s reconstruction.