March 30, 2025 (EIRNS)—In a televised speech March 29, Khalil al-Hayya, the leader of Hamas, announced that Hamas has accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal that was conveyed to Hamas by Egypt and Qatar, which have been acting as mediators.
“Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and Qatar. We dealt with it positively and accepted it,” al-Hayya said in a televised speech, reported Reuters on March 29. Reuters further reported that on March 27, “security sources” had reported that “Egypt had received positive indications from Israel over a new ceasefire proposal that would include a transitional phase.” Reuters reports that the source stated that the proposal suggests that Hamas would release five of the Israeli hostages it is holding each week, in exchange for a ceasefire.
On March 30 Newsweek reported that “After the first week [of the new proposal], Israel would implement a second phase of the ceasefire, according to the report [by Reuters]. The proposal also reportedly included a timeline for all of the hostages to be released and for Israel to fully withdraw its military from Gaza.”
“We hope that the (Israeli) occupation will not undermine [it],” Reuters quoted al-Hayya as saying. Al-Hayya has led the Hamas negotiating team in indirect talks aimed at securing a ceasefire.