Hamas wants to ensure that the latest cease-fire proposal has sufficient guarantees that negotiations will lead to a permanent end to the Gaza war.
Israelis and Palestinians waited anxiously on Thursday as Hamas deliberated on whether to accept the latest proposal for a 60-day cease-fire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages.
A critical question was whether Hamas has determined that it has sufficient guarantees that the revised plan will eventually lead to a permanent end of the nearly two-year-old war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
Hamas has insisted that any cease-fire plan must pave a path to a complete and lasting cessation of hostilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has insisted on a temporary cease-fire only until Hamas’s military wing and government are dismantled.
“Hamas’s focus is on ending the war,” said Hussam Dajani, a Palestinian political analyst from Gaza.
A reply from Hamas could come between today and tomorrow, according to an Israeli official and an official from a mediating country, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to share sensitive information.
Even if Hamas accepts the latest proposal, both sides would likely still need time to negotiate the details before a cease-fire takes effect.
