Overview

• Hamas has formally given a fundamentally “positive” but conditional response to the mediators’ 60-day Gaza truce proposal.
• The ceasefire plan ties the phased release of ten living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies to the liberation of Palestinian prisoners.
• Israel’s government approved the framework and dispatched an indirect-talks delegation to Doha despite Prime Minister Netanyahu labeling Hamas’s added demands unacceptable.
• Hamas is pressing for clarifications on extending the pause beyond 60 days, full withdrawal of Israeli forces and unfettered humanitarian access before finalizing its approval.
• Qatar, Egypt and the US will facilitate the upcoming Doha negotiations as international and domestic pressure mounts over hostage releases and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.