BREAKING: Hamas Accepts US Proposal to Begin Talks on Releasing Israeli Hostages, Say Sources

New Delhi: Palestinian militant group Hamas has accepted the proposal of the United States to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, news agency Reuters reported citing a a senior Hamas source. 

This comes 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war. The militant group has demanded that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before the agreement is signed. Hamas said it would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase, the news agency reported.

A Palestinian official who is familiar with the matter claimed that the proposal could pave the way for a framework agreement if agreed by Israel and would bring peace in the region by ending the Gaza war which is into its ninth month. 

The Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

The deadly war began after Hamas unleashed attacks on southern Israeli cities on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250 people.

The Hamas source told Reuters that the proposal ensures that mediators would agree on a temporary ceasefire, along with guaranteed aid delivery and withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement.