Palestinian official: Qatar told Hamas it would get Israeli response to proposal within days

Hamas is waiting for a response from Israel on its hostage and ceasefire proposal, two officials from the Palestinian terror group say.

“We have left our response with the mediators and are waiting to hear the occupation’s response,” one of the two Hamas officials tells Reuters, asking not to be named.

The three-phase plan was put forward at the end of May by US President Joe Biden and is being mediated by Qatar and Egypt.

Another Palestinian official, with knowledge of the ongoing deliberations, says Israel is in talks with the Qataris.

“They have discussed with them Hamas’ response and they promised to give them Israel’s response within days,” the official, who asked not to be named, tells Reuters.

Hamas has given initial approval for the proposal for a phased truce and hostage deal, dropping a key demand that Israel give an upfront commitment for a complete end to the war, a Hamas and an Egyptian official said yesterday.

At the same time, a key stumbling block appeared to be Hamas’s desire for “written guarantees” from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal once the first phase of a ceasefire goes into effect.

Israel has voiced cautious optimism in recent days that Hamas’s position makes a deal more likely. A source in Israel’s negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday there was now a real chance of achieving an agreement. That was in sharp contrast to past instances in the 9-month-old war in Gaza, when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were unacceptable.