Israel was weighing its next move on Saturday after Hamas expressed readiness to begin immediate negotiations over a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war in Gaza.
According to Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet was expected to convene after sunset, following the end of the Jewish Sabbath, to deliberate on sending a delegation to Doha as early as Sunday for discussions.
Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, part of a renewed American effort to halt the nearly 21-month-long conflict.
An Israeli government official, speaking to AFP, said, “No decision has been made yet” regarding Hamas’s statement.
The Palestinian group announced Friday night that it had held consultations with other factions and was ready to start talks on how to implement the truce plan.
“The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place” the ceasefire proposal, Hamas said in a statement.
Two Palestinian officials familiar with the discussions told AFP that the U.S.-drafted plan includes a 60-day truce.
Under its terms, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and return several bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The group is also demanding a phased Israeli withdrawal, assurances that fighting won’t resume during negotiations, and a return to United Nations-led humanitarian aid distribution.
Asked about Hamas’s response while aboard Air Force One, President Trump reacted by saying, “That’s good. They haven’t briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.”
