Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire, seeks permanent end to Israeli onslaught

Hamas has signalled that it wants to make specific amendments to the US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal, after the movement shared a "positive" reaction to the deal. 

Arab and Israeli media reported on Friday that there were significant hurdles that remained in the path to a ceasefire and captive release deal- despite US President Donald Trump expressing that a deal could be achieved by next week.

On Friday, the Palestinian group announced it was ready to begin negotiations "immediately" to finalise a deal that would end Israel's  war on Gaza and secure the release of the remaining captives- an announcement that was received positively by Trump. 

However, Saudi newspaper Al Majalla published the alleged proposal’s full framework, revealing major key issues that were yet to be resolved by all parties.

On Friday, Al Araby, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister TV channel, reported that Hamas "requested minor amendments" to the proposed ceasefire.  

Meanwhile, Israel’s Ynet News, citing a Hamas-linked source, said the group is seeking changes related to aid delivery, Israeli troop withdrawal, and a guarantee that the Israeli offensive won't resume after the proposed 60-day truce. 

According to the framework revealed by Ynet, the exact list of captives to be released remains unclear, unlike in the previous proposal. 

Ynet reported the draft outlines the release of 10 living and 18 deceased Israeli captives in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinians held by Israel. 

Humanitarian aid in the war-torn enclave would also reportedly be distributed through "agreed channels, including the UN and the Red Crescent".

According to the Israeli news site, the controversial US-Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) had not been mentioned, reportedly due to Hamas objections.  

The group has demanded GHF halt operations, following recurring Israeli attacks on civilians seeking aid. At least 613 people have been killed by the Israeli military at GHF sites, the Gaza health ministry said in its latest toll update on Friday. 

The current deal also allegedly includes Israeli redeployment from northern Gaza and the Netzarim Corridor- a route created by Israel during the war that cuts through central Gaza- with southern repositioning to follow. 

However, according to Ynet, its terms remain vague, saying redeployment would follow "maps to be agreed upon".

Israeli forces will reportedly stay in the buffer zone and 250 metres further into Gaza, creating a new zone up to 1.4 km deep, as troops will also remain along the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs the full length of Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.

Speaking to Ynet, an unnamed Hamas source said that "Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. must provide guarantees for the continuation of the process".

Two previous ceasefires, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, led to temporary pauses in fighting and exchanges of captives.  

However, repeated attempts to negotiate a new truce have failed, largely due to Israel’s refusal to rule out a continuation of its onslaught on Gaza.