From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Source: Hamas expected to respond positively, but with amendments, to US Gaza plan; answer could be today
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Arab mediators’ have been having productive talks with Hamas about the US plan for ending the Gaza war have been, and a response from the terror group could come as soon as today, a source familiar with the negotiations tells The Times of Israel.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was giving Hamas three or four days to respond and that there was little room for additional negotiations.
The source clarifies that while Hamas’s response will be “positive,” it will still request several amendments to the Israeli proposal, similar to how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in making changes in the days leading up to the plan’s release.
The source adds that Qatar itself has been in touch with the US about amending parts of the plan.
An Arab diplomat from one of the mediating countries told The Times of Israel earlier this week that Egypt and Qatar were upset over the changes the US allowed Netanyahu to make at the 11th hour, particularly ones slowing and limiting the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and ones regarding the disarmament of Hamas, which has been a red line for the group.
The Times of Israel Community.