Gaza ceasefire talks resumed: Hamas

The official with Hamas’s political bureau said on Friday efforts have been reactivated to end the genocide and free Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Basem Naim told the Associated Press in Turkey that a deal to end the 14-month Israeli genocide was hopefully within reach.

He stated that no “solid, well-formed” new ceasefire proposal has yet been presented to Hamas.

“I think it is not a big challenge to reach a deal… if there are intentions on the other side,” he added.

Naim said Hamas is sticking to the core demands it has held to during previous rounds of negotiations, including a permanent ceasefire, total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the right of internally displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes.

But he also added the Palestinian resistance group is “ready to show flexibility” on implementation, including on the timeline for withdrawal of Israeli troops from key parts of Gaza.

During the previous round of talks in August, Israel demanded that after any ceasefire, it maintain a military presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic strip along the enclave’s border with Egypt, and in the Netzarim corridor, which cuts from east to west across the territory’s midsection.

“There can be a discussion about these points, but at the end, Israel has to withdraw totally from the Philadelphi corridor, and the Rafah border (with Egypt) has to be opened immediately,” Naim said.

Naim added the incoming US administration could “affect the situation positively” given that Donald Trump had made halting wars in the region part of his campaign platform.

The comments come after ceasefire negotiations were halted last month amid frustration over lack of progress in the talks.

Hamas has stressed that any agreement with Israel must ensure a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and a prisoner exchange deal.