Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with senior Hamas political leaders in Doha on Monday, urging them to “respond positively” to the latest American-backed proposal aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, Reuters reported.
An official briefed on the meeting told the news agency, “The Qatari prime minister pressed Hamas to respond positively to the latest American proposal, conveyed through mediators, and aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.”
On Sunday it was reported that US President Donald Trump had sent a proposal to Hamas in recent days for a comprehensive hostage deal that includes significant changes compared to previous offers.
According to the proposal, all 48 hostages, living and deceased, will be released on the first day of the deal, as hundreds of terrorists and thousands of Palestinian Arab detainees are released.
As part of the framework, Israel would halt the takeover of Gaza City and would immediately begin negotiations to end the war, under the direct management of President Trump. The fighting will not renew as long as the negotiations are ongoing.
Commenting on the proposal, the President on Truth Social: "Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning; there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Israel is seriously considering President Trump's proposal; Hamas will likely continue its refusal."
Hamas responded to the proposal on Sunday evening and once again imposed preconditions on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
"We have received several ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement. In this context, the Hamas movement welcomes any effort that supports stopping the aggression against our people and emphasizes its immediate readiness to sit at the negotiating table," the organization stated.
"It is our aim to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration of an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, we seek the establishment of a committee to manage Gaza, composed of independent Palestinians, which would begin operations immediately. This would include an explicit and binding commitment from the enemy to uphold the agreements, preventing a recurrence of past instances where agreements were made but later rejected or canceled," Hamas added.
Despite Hamas’s preconditions, Trump later told reporters that he believes a deal to release the hostages being held by Hamas and secure a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached “very soon.”