Hamas sends 'positive' response to 60-day ceasefire proposal

Palestinian militant group Hamas said it had sent a "positive" response to mediators on the latest proposed ceasefire in Gaza, which would see a release of both living and dead hostages and an immediate flow of humanitarian aid through recognised channels.

Hamas also said it was open to discussing technical aspects of the withdrawal mechanism of Israeli forces as long as the framework remained intact.

The announcement was made in a statement on Friday night after it completed consultations with Palestinian factions and forces on the mediators' latest proposal to "stop the aggression against our people in Gaza".

"The movement is seriously prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework," Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to a basic translated framework of the proposal received by Al Jazeera, the duration of the ceasefire would last for 60 days, with US President Donald Trump guaranteeing Israel's commitment to a ceasefire for the agreed duration.

On the release of captives, it would include at least 10 live Israeli captives and 18 deceased from the "List of 58," and those releases would take place on the first, seventh, 30th, 50th and 60th days.

Regarding humanitarian aid, supplies would be immediately sent to Gaza upon Hamas's approval of the ceasefire agreement, according to the Al Jazeera translation.

The agreement will ensure the arrival of aid in sufficient and intensive quantities, as in the agreement of January 19, 2025, regarding humanitarian assistance. Aid would also be distributed through channels agreed upon, including the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent.

Meanwhile, in a report by Xinhua News Agency, they cited a source familiar with the matter said the response presented by Hamas "is generally aligned with the most recent Qatari- and Egyptian-mediated version of the proposal, known as the modified (US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve) Witkoff plan".

According to the source, a Hamas member close to the movement's leadership, Hamas proposed minor changes to the existing draft, but did not deviate significantly from the core elements of the mediation framework.