Hamas announced on Sunday its readiness to begin indirect negotiations with Israel with the aim of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement from the movement, Hamas said it "welcomes the continued Qatari and Egyptian efforts to end the war waged by the occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip."
The movement affirmed its readiness to "immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention, ensuring relief for our people and ending the humanitarian tragedy, leading to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of the occupation forces."
Hamas leader Bassem Naim told Reuters on Saturday that the movement had not rejected a ceasefire proposal presented by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East.
He added, "We did not reject Witkov's proposal. We agreed with Witkov on a proposal, and I consider it acceptable as a proposal for negotiation. We received the other party's response, and it did not agree with any of the items we agreed upon."
He continued, "Nevertheless, we responded positively and responsibly, responding to it in a manner that fulfilled the aspirations of our people. Why should the Israeli response be considered the only response to be negotiated? This violates the integrity and fairness of mediation and constitutes complete bias toward the other party."
Hamas said it was seeking amendments to a US-backed proposal for a temporary ceasefire between the movement and Israel in Gaza, but Steve Witkoff said Hamas's response was "completely unacceptable."
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Hamas confirms its readiness to "initiate" negotiations on points of contention.