Jonathan Frederic De Santos

This aerial view shows displaced Palestinians returning to the war-devastated Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025, shortly before a ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas was implemented. Omar Al-Qattaa, AFP/File

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17516777075951742142985484AFP__20250119__36UL2KW__v3__Preview__TopshotPalestinianIsraelConflict.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This aerial view shows displaced Palestinians returning to the war-devastated Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025, shortly before a ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas was implemented. Omar Al-Qattaa, AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This aerial view shows displaced Palestinians returning to the war-devastated Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025, shortly before a ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas was implemented. <em>Omar Al-Qattaa, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Israel was mulling its response on Saturday after Hamas said it was ready to start talks &quot;immediately&quot; on a US-sponsored proposal for a Gaza ceasefire.</p><p>The security cabinet was expected to meet after the end of the Jewish sabbath at sundown to discuss Israel&#x27;s next steps as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to leave for Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump.</p><p>Trump has been making a renewed push for an end to nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 32 people were killed in Israeli military operations on Saturday.</p><p>&quot;No decision has been made yet on that issue,&quot; an Israeli government official told AFP when asked about Hamas&#x27;s positive response to the latest ceasefire proposal.</p><p>Hamas made its announcement late Friday after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions.</p><p>&quot;The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place&quot; the terms of the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement.</p><p>Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded &quot;guarantees&quot; that Israel &quot;will not resume its aggression&quot; once hostages held in Gaza are freed.</p><p>Trump, when asked about Hamas&#x27;s response aboard Air Force One, said: &quot;That&#x27;s good. They haven&#x27;t briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.&quot;</p><p>The war in Gaza began with Hamas&#x27;s October 2023 attack, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by Palestinian militants.</p><p>Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/3/gaza-rescuers-say-israeli-forces-kill-25-including-12-in-shelter-for-displaced-1820"><strong>Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 25, including 12 in shelter for displaced<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- 60-day truce proposal -</strong></div><p>Efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel&#x27;s rejection of Hamas&#x27;s demand for guarantees that any new ceasefire will be lasting.</p><p>A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week that the latest proposal included &quot;a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip&quot; -- thought to number 22 -- &quot;in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees&quot;.</p><p>Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.</p><p>Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations.</p><p>A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distributions in the territory in late May when Israel eased a more than two month blockade on aid deliveries.</p><p>The group said two of its US staff were wounded in an &quot;attack&quot; on one of its aid centres in southern Gaza on Saturday.</p><p>&quot;This morning, two American aid workers were injured in a targeted terrorist attack during food distribution activities at SDS-3 in Khan Yunis,&quot; the organisation said, adding that reports indicated it was carried out by &quot;two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans&quot;.</p><p>UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.</p><p>Its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations.</p><p>UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.</p><p>GHF&#x27;s chairman Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to Trump, on Wednesday rejected calls for the lead role in Gaza aid distributions to revert to UN agencies.</p><p>&quot;We will not be shut down. We have one job to do. It&#x27;s very simple, every day to provide free food to the people of Gaza,&quot; he told reporters.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/3/dialysis-patient-begs-for-mercy-as-fuel-shortage-halts-treatments-at-gaza-hospital-1027"><strong>Dialysis patient begs for &#x27;mercy&#x27; as fuel shortage halts treatments at Gaza hospital</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Civil defence says schools hit -</strong></div><p>Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 32 people across the war-battered territory on Saturday.</p><p>Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.</p><p>Bassal said Saturday&#x27;s dead included eight people killed in two strikes on schools in Gaza City.</p><p>Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates.</p><p>The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.</p><p>Israel&#x27;s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,268 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory&#x27;s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.</p><div><strong>-- AFP teams in Gaza with Roland Lloyd Parry in Jerusalem</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Hamas on Friday said it was ready to start talks "immediately" on a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the civil defense agency said Israel's ongoing offensive killed more than 50 people.</p>

Hamas on Friday said it was ready to start talks "immediately" on a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the civil defense agency said Israel's ongoing offensive killed more than 50 people.

Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks 'immediately'

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Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks 'immediately'

Agence France-Presse

Published July 05, 2025 09:15 AM PHT

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Updated July 05, 2025 08:33 PM PHT

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