Hamas Open to Extended Gaza Truce but Rejects Disarmament
Hamas has signaled its willingness to negotiate a long-term truce with Israel, potentially spanning five to seven years, while firmly rejecting calls to disarm, a senior official revealed during ceasefire discussions in Cairo on Saturday.
Hamas Proposes Truce Terms
A Hamas delegation engaged with Egyptian mediators to explore solutions to the 18-month conflict in Gaza, which has devastated the region.
The group expressed readiness for a comprehensive agreement that would include a truce, the release of all Israeli captives, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and Gaza’s reconstruction.
Indicating openness to a ceasefire lasting five to seven years, Taher Al-Nono, media adviser for the Hamas leadership stated:
Disarmament Remains a Sticking Point
Despite its willingness to negotiate a truce, Hamas staunchly opposed Israel’s demand for demilitarization in Gaza.
"The weapon of resistance is not negotiable and will remain in our hands as long as the occupation exists," Al-Nono stated, underscoring that disarmament is non-negotiable while Israeli occupation persists.
Hamas’s founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction, though the group has previously hinted at accepting a long-term truce in exchange for ending the occupation.
Israel Insists on Hostage Release
Israel has maintained that any deal must secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.
"The war could end tomorrow if Hamas released the remaining 59 hostages and laid down its weapons," Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said in Jerusalem on Tuesday, casting doubt on a breakthrough without meeting these demands.
Ongoing Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
The war reignited on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, with Israel resuming its offensive in Gaza.
Since then, Israeli forces have blocked all aid, seized territories for a buffer zone, and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Local health authorities report over 51,400 Palestinians killed since the war began, with more than 2,000 deaths since March, including 10 killed in a recent strike on a Gaza City family home.
Hamas has rejected a prior Israeli proposal for a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for 10 living hostages, calling it "partial," and continues to demand a full Israeli withdrawal, an end to the war, and increased humanitarian aid amid warnings from the United Nations of dwindling food stocks in Gaza.