Hamas Ready to Sign Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, Waiting for Israel's Response - Hamas Official

Hamas Ready to Sign Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, Waiting for Israel's Response - Hamas Official

Cairo, May 3, 2025 – Hamas has reiterated its readiness to sign a ceasefire agreement for Gaza and is now waiting for Israel's response, according to senior Hamas leader Abd al-Rahman Shadid.

In a statement to Al Jazeera television, he said, “Hamas has already presented a comprehensive proposal regarding a prisoner exchange (the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli captives) and is ready to sign this agreement. However, Israel is obstructing the talks. Now, the ball is in their court.”

According to the senior Hamas official, Hamas has proposed a five-year ceasefire in Gaza and has asked for appropriate regional and international guarantees for its implementation. However, he stated that the Israeli government has rejected the proposal and refused to bring an end to the hostilities.

He further added, “Despite this, Hamas has reassured the mediators that it will consider any proposal responsibly, including one for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza, and a just prisoner exchange.”

Israel and Hamas had agreed on a three-phase deal on January 15 regarding the release of captives and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The first phase of this agreement went into effect on January 19 and ended on March 1. The next step was supposed to be the implementation of a compromise, but it failed.

After that, Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18, striking Hamas targets, which led to the collapse of the ceasefire that had been in place since January. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that this step was taken in response to the rejection of the proposal after discussions with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The goal was to secure the release of all Israeli captives. Hamas has held Israel and the U.S. responsible for the new violence.

Another round of talks between Egyptian mediators and Hamas representatives was held in Cairo on April 26. Two days later, Israeli representatives also visited Cairo. However, neither side has officially commented on the outcome of the discussions.