Hamas seeks commitment to permanent ceasefire in Gaza proposal response
Hamas says that it has submitted its response to the US-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza following eight months of conflict.
In a statement, the militant group said it was seeking some “amendments” on the deal.
The foreign ministries of Qatar and Egypt - who have been key mediators alongside the US - confirmed that they had received Hamas's response and said mediators were studying it.
"We're in receipt of this reply that Hamas delivered to Qatar and to Egypt, and we are evaluating it right now," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington.
Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said the response included "amendments that confirm the ceasefire, withdrawal, reconstruction and (prisoner) exchange" without giving further details.
In a statement with its Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) allies, Hamas called for a “complete halt” to the conflict.
"The response prioritises the interests of our Palestinian people and emphasises the necessity of a complete halt to the ongoing aggression on Gaza," they said.
The groups added that they were ready to “engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war”.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has been in the region this week trying to push through the deal - his eighth visit since Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel ignited Israel's campaign in Gaza.
Last Friday, US President Joe Biden laid out what he called a "three-phase" Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza which would include negotiations for a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave as well as an exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
