The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Wednesday evening that it has officially responded to a proposed cease-fire agreement with Israel.
In a statement, the group said: "Hamas leadership has just delivered its response to the cease-fire proposal to the mediators (Egypt and Qatar)."
The announcement followed an emergency meeting of Hamas' political bureau to discuss the mediators' proposal, the statement added.
The group emphasized its commitment to the people of Gaza, stating: "Hamas has acted with full responsibility and positivity, driven by its duty toward our steadfast and resilient people in Gaza, to halt the Zionist aggression, end the massacres, and stop the ongoing genocide against them."
In a separate statement, Hamas said that its Shura Council Chairman Mohammed Darwish met with Islamic Jihad delegation led by Ziyad al-Nakhalah in Doha to discuss the "final stages" of the proposed cease-fire.
The leaders also stressed the need for intensified efforts in this round of the talks to secure a deal that would halt the war and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Palestinian source told Anadolu that Hamas had provided a "positive" response to the draft cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal.
Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 reported that the agreement's implementation could begin as early as Sunday, starting with the release of three Israeli hostages, followed by additional releases on a set schedule.
The cease-fire negotiations faced prolonged delays due to objections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who introduced new conditions or backtracked on previous agreements.
However, significant progress was made after US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff exerted pressure on Netanyahu during what sources described as "a tense meeting" last Saturday, according to The Times of Israel daily.
Israel currently holds more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza. Hamas said that many Israeli captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 46,700 people, most of them women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
