A senior Hamas official has confirmed to an American media outlet that the group has accepted the U.S. proposal to start negotiations over the release of Israeli hostages.
According to a report by "Tarz Press," the senior Hamas official made these remarks to Reuters on Saturday, July 6, stating that Hamas has allowed the negotiations for the release of the hostages to begin. The senior Hamas official, whose identity has not been disclosed, also clarified to Reuters that the group has dropped its demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before any agreement.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian official has expressed hope that Hamas's flexible stance could end the nine-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. However, according to Reuters, a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on the matter and announced on the same day that differences between the parties remain. These efforts to end the Gaza war have been accelerated as Gaza health officials report that the nine-month war in Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 38,000 Palestinians.
