Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that a delegation will be sent to Qatar for indirect negotiations with Hamas over a possible ceasefire and hostage exchange, amid fresh signs that the Palestinian group is ready to begin talks without delay.

The move comes after Hamas indicated on Friday its willingness to enter “immediate and serious” negotiations and submitted its official response to a U.S.-backed truce proposal mediated by Qatar.

Despite this, Netanyahu dismissed the changes Hamas proposed, calling them “unacceptable.”

In a statement from his office, Netanyahu said, “The amendments proposed by Hamas to the Qatari-drafted plan were received last night. Israel finds them unacceptable.”

However, the statement confirmed that the Israeli delegation would still attend the proximity talks and pursue an agreement aimed at securing the return of hostages, based on the original Qatari proposal that Israel supports.

The Prime Minister is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, as diplomatic efforts intensify to end the Gaza war, now in its 21st month. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, Israeli military strikes killed 42 people on Saturday alone.

While Hamas has not released its full response publicly, two Palestinian sources familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the ceasefire plan includes a 60-day pause in fighting.

During that period, Hamas would release 10 hostages alive, along with the bodies of several others, in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

The sources also revealed that Hamas is demanding Israeli troop withdrawals from certain areas, a guarantee that fighting will not resume during the talks, and the reinstatement of the UN-led humanitarian aid system.

President Trump, asked about Hamas’ response while aboard Air Force One, said, “That’s good. I haven’t been briefed yet. But we have to find a resolution. Something has to be done about Gaza.”

The conflict began in October 2023 after Hamas launched a deadly attack inside Israel, prompting an extensive military campaign aimed at dismantling the group and rescuing hostages. According to Israeli military sources, 49 of the 251 hostages taken remain in Gaza, with 27 believed to be dead.

Despite previous efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to mediate ceasefires, most agreements have only resulted in brief pauses and limited hostage exchanges.

In a weekly rally for families of the captives, Macabit Mayer, whose niece and nephew are being held in Gaza, appealed for a broad agreement: “a solution that brings everyone home.”

However, talks have repeatedly broken down over Hamas’ demand for a permanent end to the war—a condition Israel has so far refused to meet.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen. More than two million people are facing critical food shortages and have little access to medical services. In Khan Yunis, a resident, Karima al-Ras, said, “We are glad Hamas responded positively. We hope this leads to a truce that allows more aid.”
“People are risking their lives just to find flour for their families,” she added.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been coordinating aid since May after Israel relaxed parts of its blockade, remains controversial.

Although supported by both Israel and the U.S., the GHF has been strongly criticised by the UN and other humanitarian organisations, who say it aligns too closely with Israeli military interests and have refused to work with it.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s foreign ministry confirmed that its foreign minister Badr Abdelatty held discussions with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to review the latest developments and coordinate upcoming indirect negotiations aimed at finalising an agreement.