PNN – Hamas announced that it has presented the new response of Palestinian groups to the ceasefire plan to the mediators, a response that Israeli security sources are not pleased with.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Hamas movement announced that a few minutes ago it had presented its response and that of other Palestinian groups to the ceasefire proposal to the mediators.
The movement announced in a short statement: The Hamas movement delivered its response and the response of the Palestinian groups to the ceasefire proposal to the mediating brothers a few minutes ago.
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Israeli security sources have described Hamas’ response to the ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal as “completely inadequate” and said that serious gaps have prevented a final agreement from being reached.
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According to informed Israeli sources, the content of this response has been communicated to the regime’s senior intelligence officials, and its key points have been conveyed to political and military levels.
Among the most important points of disagreement is Hamas’ demand for a wider Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories since March, as well as the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including those whom Israel calls “dangerous prisoners.”
One of the most important knots in the negotiations is ensuring an end to the war. Hamas has responded by saying it does not trust the US commitment and has warned that US President Donald Trump may not be putting enough pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the military offensive.
A senior diplomatic source from one of the mediating countries told the Hebrew newspaper Ma’ariv that the US commitments were only verbal and were not included in the official text of the agreement, except for a general reference at the end. The source added that Washington has promised to turn the 60-day temporary ceasefire into a permanent agreement that would include a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, but the lack of written documentation has added to Hamas’ doubts.
Regarding the prisoner exchange issue, Hamas is demanding the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including prominent figures whom Israel considers “dangerous.” The movement has emphasized that the release of these individuals is non-negotiable.
According to security reports, the final list of prisoners has not yet been presented, but previous talks have discussed “keys,” meaning giving Israel veto power to remove certain names. This suggests that the disagreement is not just over the number of prisoners, but also over their identities.
On the other hand, in an effort to advance the dialogue process, the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Whitakoff, has traveled to Europe to meet with a number of leaders and officials, and is scheduled to continue with talks with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Despite the rising tensions, some sources have reported “cautious optimism”—an optimism that stems more from the efforts of mediators than from tangible progress on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Hebrew website Ynet reported yesterday that negotiations on a possible prisoner exchange agreement saw significant progress on Wednesday.