Hamas has indicated for the first time that it is willing to discuss a long-term truce, while firmly rejecting Israeli demands for disarmament.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas has expressed its willingness to reach a deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, proposing the release of all remaining prisoners in one batch and a five-year truce.
The announcement comes as Hamas leaders meet with mediators in Cairo for ceasefire negotiations.
Taher al-Nono, media advisor to the head of Hamas’s political bureau, stated that the group is open to a long-term truce with Israel in Gaza but will not agree to disarm.
Sources familiar with the talks told Reuters news agency that Hamas is seeking to secure support from mediators for its proposal, suggesting the movement could accept a truce lasting five to seven years. In return, Hamas demands an end to the war, the start of Gaza’s reconstruction, and a prisoner exchange deal.
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“The idea of a truce or its duration is not unacceptable to us,” al-Nono said, according to Al-Jazeera. “We are ready to discuss it within the framework of negotiations, and we are open to any serious proposals to end the war.”
However, the top Hamas official firmly rejected a key Israeli condition—that Hamas disarm—emphasizing that the “weapon of resistance” is non-negotiable and will remain until the “occupation” ends. Israel insists that Gaza must be a demilitarized zone.
Hamas has previously indicated it could consider a long-term truce if it leads to the end of Israeli occupation.
Discussions in Cairo
A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya is scheduled to meet Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday to discuss “some ideas and a new proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange,” a Hamas official told Agence France-Presse.
The source said that, as of Saturday morning, Hamas had not officially received a new ceasefire proposal but that important ideas were exchanged during recent talks with mediators.
“We hope that Hamas’ vision will be accepted, ensuring a complete ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal, a serious prisoner exchange, and the immediate entry of sufficient humanitarian aid,” the source reportedly said.
While Hamas is pushing for a comprehensive agreement, Israel is demanding the release of all prisoners and the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups—conditions that Hamas has described as a “red line.”
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Ongoing Genocide
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 51,000, wounding more than 116,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, AJA)
