Skip to content

Hamas reportedly gives ‘positive’ response to Gaza cease-fire deal

Hamas reportedly gives 'positive' response to Gaza cease-fire deal A man walks through the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes at the Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Jan. 12, 2025. (AFP Photo)
By Anadolu Agency
Jan 15, 2025 7:06 PM

Hamas has submitted a favorable response to mediators regarding a draft agreement on a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange, a Palestinian source informed Turkish news agency Anadolu on Wednesday.

Hamas says it submitted official response to mediators

Meanwhile, Hamas also said that it delivered its response to mediators regarding proposed cease-fire agreement in Gaza, prisoner exchange.

“Hamas leadership has just delivered its response to the cease-fire proposal to the mediators (Egypt and Qatar),” the group said in a statement.

The announcement followed an emergency meeting of Hamas’s political bureau to discuss the mediators’ proposal, the statement added.

The group emphasized its commitment to the people of Gaza, stating: “Hamas has acted with full responsibility and positivity, driven by its duty toward our steadfast and resilient people in Gaza, to halt the Zionist aggression, end the massacres, and stop the ongoing genocide against them.”

The source emphasized, “Contrary to the Israeli narrative, Hamas gave the mediators a positive response to the draft deal after receiving maps outlining the Israeli withdrawal from city centers in Gaza.”

The source added that delays have been caused by Israel’s failure to provide detailed maps of their planned troop withdrawals, which were agreed upon in the first phase.

An informed Israeli source, as reported by Israeli public broadcaster KAN, confirmed that Hamas has responded positively to the proposed agreement. KAN further indicated that Hamas leadership in Gaza has accepted the deal, with a possible signing on Wednesday.

Israeli media reported that Israel’s Security Cabinet would convene on Thursday to discuss the expected Gaza deal.

Hamas reportedly gives 'positive' response to Gaza cease-fire deal
Fire brigades try to extinguish the fire that broke out in the building targeted by the Israeli army in Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza on December 19, 2024. (AA Photo)

Qatar recently stated that negotiations for the Gaza cease-fire are in their “final details” and that an agreement is “imminent.”

Hamas also affirmed that the cease-fire and prisoner swap deal is nearing completion.

Israel currently holds more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza. Hamas has stated that several Israeli captives were killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, has resulted in over 46,700 deaths, the majority of whom are women and children. This has continued despite a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its actions in the enclave.

Last Updated:  Jan 15, 2025 8:43 PM