DEIR al-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas announced on Friday that it has provided a “positive” response to the recent ceasefire proposal for Gaza but emphasized the need for further discussions regarding its implementation.
The clarity of Hamas’ statement regarding its acceptance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a 60-day ceasefire remains uncertain. Hamas is looking for assurances that this initial ceasefire could lead to a complete end to a war that has lasted nearly 21 months. Trump has been vigorously advocating for a resolution, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with him at the White House next week to discuss the proposal.
This announcement came in the context of Israeli airstrikes on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of 15 Palestinians, while a hospital reported an additional 20 fatalities from gunfire directed at individuals seeking assistance.
The U.N. human rights office reported that in the past month, 613 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid, mostly near food distribution points operated by an Israeli-backed American organization. Many others were killed while waiting for aid trucks associated with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies.
Ongoing Efforts for Ceasefire
Trump stated on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to terms for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the U.S. would collaborate with all parties to put an end to the conflict. He urged Hamas to accept the offer before conditions worsen.
In its recent statement, Hamas mentioned that it “has submitted its positive response” to mediators from Egypt and Qatar and is ready to enter negotiations about the implementation mechanism. However, the specific details regarding these discussions were not disclosed.
An official involved in the talks noted that Hamas has several requests, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza to their positions held on March 2, ensuring adequate humanitarian aid flow through international agencies, and potentially extending negotiations beyond 60 days to establish a permanent resolution to the conflict and secure the release of remaining hostages.
Fatalities During Aid Seeking
Reported fatalities included at least three Palestinians who died on Friday while traveling to food distribution sites managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Witnesses have indicated that since distributions began at the end of May, Israeli forces have regularly opened fire on crowds of Palestinians aiming to obtain aid.
On Friday, 17 individuals were reported killed while waiting for supply trucks in eastern Khan Younis. Survivors indicated that Israeli troops opened fire from tanks and drones on the desperate crowd.
Meanwhile, airstrikes targeted the Muwasi area in southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 15 civilians, including eight women and one child. The Israeli military reported they were investigating these airstrikes and offered no immediate comments regarding the shootings linked to aid trucks.
U.N. Investigation Into Shootings
The spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office stated they could not directly attribute responsibility for the killings but noted that the Israeli military “has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach distribution points.” According to their data, 509 of the casualties occurred near these sites.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation disputed these casualty figures, alleging that the U.N. was relying on data from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. In contrast, the U.N. insists its data is grounded in reliable information from medical and humanitarian entities.
The WHO representative mentioned that the Nasser Hospital is overwhelmed with casualties, attributing most injuries to gunfire related to aid distribution sites. The International Committee of the Red Cross reinforced this, stating that their field hospital has repeatedly been inundated with casualties resulting from such incidents.
On Friday, Israeli military operations also resulted in the deaths of two soldiers in northern Gaza, with an investigation ongoing. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that the number of Palestinian fatalities has surpassed 57,000, claiming that over half of the deceased are women and children.
The conflict escalated when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
