Israel Sends Negotiating Team to Doha on Sunday to Start Ceasefire Talks Regarding Gaza

SadaNews - The Hamas movement stated in a statement on Saturday evening that it had formulated its response to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza with a unified national consensus and a positive spirit, garnering the support of all factions and Palestinian forces, while Israel decided to send a negotiating team to Doha to begin indirect negotiations with Hamas.

Hamas's Head of National Relations Office, Hossam Badran, said, "As part of the intensive Palestinian national efforts led by Hamas, we conducted a series of extensive communications with leaders of factions and Palestinian forces to coordinate and consult regarding Hamas's response to the framework paper concerning the cessation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip and the mechanisms for its implementation."

He pointed out that "these communications witnessed a high level of practical and serious consultation between Hamas and the national and Islamic factions, resulting in a unified national consensus supporting the position of the Palestinian resistance forces."

Badran continued, "After completing internal and external consultations with the factions, the movement's response was presented to the mediators, produced by consensus and in a positive spirit. All factions and Palestinian forces welcomed this unified response."

He concluded by saying that "these efforts come within the framework of a responsible Palestinian leadership that seeks to maintain our people’s gains and ensure a unified Palestinian stance to stop the genocidal war against our people in the Gaza Strip."

Israel Decides to Send a Negotiating Team to Doha on Sunday

Israeli reports cited a senior official saying that it has been decided to send a negotiating team to the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday to start negotiations concerning the ceasefire proposal in Gaza.

The cabinet is expected to convene tonight to discuss Hamas's response, while Israeli sources claim that they do not categorically reject Hamas's response, indicating that there is something to work on.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority "Kan 11" reported that estimates in Israel suggest that Hamas's conditions will not pose an obstacle to reaching an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza.

This comes after Hamas announced in an official statement late Friday to Saturday that it had submitted a response "characterized by positivity" to the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, indicating its readiness to enter into immediate negotiations regarding the implementation mechanism of this framework.

The statement said: "Hamas has completed its internal consultations and with the factions and Palestinian forces regarding the mediators' recent proposal to stop the aggression against our people in Gaza, and the movement handed over its response to the mediators, which was characterized by positivity; the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the implementation mechanism of this framework."

Text of the Ceasefire Proposal in Gaza

The U.S. ceasefire proposal in Gaza stipulates that Hamas release 28 Israeli prisoners and captives, including 10 living individuals and 18 bodies of deceased prisoners, within 60 days, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and the immediate provision of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities under the supervision of the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

According to the proposal, the release of Israeli prisoners from Gaza will proceed as follows:

On Day One: Release of 8 living prisoners.

On Day Seven: Release of 5 bodies of prisoners.

On Day 30: Release of 5 bodies of prisoners.

On Day 50: Release of 2 living prisoners.

On the final day: Release of 8 bodies of prisoners.

According to the proposal, after Hamas releases 8 living prisoners on the first day of the ceasefire, the Israeli army will begin withdrawing from parts of the incursion axes in the northern Gaza Strip, to then withdraw from the southern Gaza Strip.

On the tenth day of the ceasefire, Hamas will be requested to provide information about the status of the remaining prisoners in their custody, while Israel will announce the status of more than 2,000 prisoners from Gaza who have been administratively detained since the onset of the war, and will commit to releasing a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners within the agreement; according to the proposal.

The proposal also stipulates that Israel halt all its military operations in the strip once the agreement is enacted, in addition to halting its flights and air operations for 10 to 12 hours on days when prisoner exchanges take place.