Hamas rejects Israeli proposal demanding disarmament, as details of deal emerge

A Hamas leader said Israel’s proposal for a ceasefire is "completely rejected by the consensus of all factions" after one of the terms presented demanded that the group to completely disarm.

Hamas also said they reject the proposal due to it not providing clear guarantees on the war ending and Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza.

Israel’s proposal included a 45-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release five living Israeli captives on the second day, in exchange for 66 Palestinian prisoners and 611 Palestinians detained from Gaza, an informed Palestinian source revealed to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The source added that the proposal stipulated that aid would resume on the second day, which would also see the Israeli army redeployed to positions in Rafah and Gaza.

After this, the proposal states that day three of the deal would see negotiations commence on a permanent ceasefire and prisoner exchange, as well as the demilitarisation of Gaza and the plans for the day after the war.

It further states that Hamas should provide full information on all living captives on the 10th day and release the bodies of 16 Israelis on the 20th day in exchange for 160 bodies of Palestinians from Gaza.

The proposal ends by stating that the negotiations should be completed within 45 days, after which all remaining prisoners will be released.

Hamas response

After Cairo delivered the proposal to Hamas, the group responded, saying it is "studying, with great national responsibility, the proposal it received from the mediators, and will submit its response as soon as possible once necessary consultations are completed".

The group further reiterated "its firm position that any future agreement must achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, a genuine prisoner exchange deal and the start of a serious process to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed, as well as the lifting of the siege on people".

Later, reports quoted a leading Hamas source saying that the Israeli proposal crossed "red lines".

Speaking anonymously to AFP, the source said: "Egypt conveyed to Hamas an Israeli proposal that includes the release of half of the remaining prisoners in the first week, and the disarming of the resistance as a condition for a permanent ceasefire – the resistance’s weapons are a red line".

Other reports state that Hamas said both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are "gambling with the fate" of the remaining captives.

Israel continues to pound Gaza

The latest ceasefire discussions come as Israel continues to pound Gaza, with at least 15 Palestinians killed in attacks on Gaza since dawn on Monday.

"A number of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, unable to be reached by ambulances and Civil Defence crews," the Palestinian health ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry raised further concerns that the "ongoing shortage of medications hinders medical teams from carrying out emergency interventions for the wounded".

"Hundreds of patients and wounded individuals are deprived of essential medications, and their suffering is worsening due to the closure of border crossings [by Israel]," a statement read, amid Israel’s ongoing blockade on the Strip.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023, Gaza’s government media office said. The actual toll is expected to be much higher, while large parts of the enclave have been reduced to rubble.