Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire and, according to sources in Cairo, is ready to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip in line with US President Donald Trump's proposal. This plan, announced at the end of September, represents the most comprehensive US initiative to date to end the long-running conflict in Gaza. It contains twenty points and provides for a temporary international administration, the deployment of a stabilisation force under the auspices of the United Nations and the subsequent transfer of power to a Palestinian Authority made up of independent technocrats.
According to AP, Hamas has confirmed that it is ready "hand over responsibility for the management of Gaza to a Palestinian body of independent politicians" and at the same time "release all living Israeli hostages in one day". The Transitional Administration should ensure the restoration of basic infrastructure and humanitarian assistance to the population, which is facing catastrophic conditions after months of fighting.
Al Hadath news channel said Hamas had agreed to hand over its weapons "a special force composed of Egyptian and Palestinian forces under UN supervision". Sources from the movement confirmed that the leadership is interested in implementing Trump's plan as soon as possible, while the Israeli side is holding up the process with ongoing airstrikes on Gaza, they said.
At the same time, however, Hamas has rejected complete disarmament. According to the Kurdish website Rudaw, the movement's leader, Tayseer Suleiman, said: "We started with a rock that we were able to develop into a drone. So we'll never completely put our weapons down." According to him, stopping Israeli attacks and preserving the Palestinians' right to defend themselves is a "red line" that the movement will not cross.
Al Hadath also reported that as part of the deal, senior Hamas officials could leave Gaza under a US guarantee that they would not be targeted for assassination. According to the sources, Washington has also shown some flexibility on the issue of handing over the bodies of deceased hostages.
Donald Trump said in an interview with CNN that if Hamas does not give up power, it will face "complete obliteration" - i.e. complete erasure. The President also said that Gaza must be fully demilitarised and brought under international supervision, otherwise "the world will once again descend into chaos". As The Guardian reported, Trump gave the movement several days to make a final decision and warned that if it rejected the deal, "he will see a hell like the world has never seen before".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to The Times of Israel, supports Trump's plan, although he continues to insist that Hamas must not remain in power in any form. Hamas, on the other hand, is demanding that future arrangements be decided by a "comprehensive Palestinian national framework"involving other factions, including Fatah.
According to The Guardian, a new round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas is scheduled for 6 October in Cairo with the participation of Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The international community, including the European Union, the UN and the Arab League, has expressed cautious support for the US initiative.
The objective remains, above all, to cease fire, release all hostages and begin the reconstruction of Gaza. Analysts cited by Reuters warn that even if a ceasefire is reached, the key question remains open - who and how will ensure long-term stability and political control over the territory. If the deal can be sustained, Gaza could be on the cusp of the biggest change in its modern history after years of war.
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