[MIDDLE EAST] A Hamas official told AFP on Tuesday that it was "necessary to reach a ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, three weeks after Israel launched its bombardment of the Palestinian territories. "This war cannot continue indefinitely, so a ceasefire is required," Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP.
The call for a ceasefire comes amid mounting international pressure, with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations warning of catastrophic conditions in Gaza. Over 80% of the enclave’s population has been displaced, and aid groups report severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. The UN Security Council has repeatedly called for pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian access, but sustained peace efforts have so far faltered.
He noted that "communication with the mediators is still ongoing," but that "so far, no new proposals have been submitted." A day earlier, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that new discussions were underway to rescue more captives held in Gaza.
The renewed diplomatic efforts follow weeks of stalled talks, with Hamas demanding a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as preconditions for any further hostage releases. Meanwhile, Israel insists on continuing military operations until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities are dismantled. The divergent demands have left mediators struggling to bridge the gap, despite mounting urgency to prevent further civilian casualties.
“We’re working now on another deal that we hope will succeed, and we’re committed to getting all the hostages out,” Netanyahu told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump for his part said: “We are trying very hard to get the hostages out. We’re looking at another ceasefire, we’ll see what happens.” The US, Qatar and Egypt brokered a fragile ceasefire whose first phase took effect on Jan 19, before ending with Israel’s resumption of air strikes on Gaza on March 18.
The collapse of the previous truce has deepened skepticism among Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom accuse the international community of failing to enforce lasting peace. Public discontent has also grown within Israel, where families of remaining hostages have staged large protests demanding the government prioritize their loved ones’ safe return over military objectives.
The truce allowed the return of 33 Israeli hostages, eight of whom were killed, in exchange for the release of around 1,800 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
On Tuesday, Badran told AFP that Hamas "is open to all ideas that would lead to a ceasefire and stop the genocide enacted against our Palestinian people".
The accusation of genocide has been fiercely contested by Israel, which maintains its operations target Hamas militants and not civilians. The International Court of Justice is currently examining a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide, a charge Israel rejects as baseless. Legal experts suggest the case could take years to resolve, even as the conflict’s toll continues to rise.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run area announced Tuesday that at least 1,449 Palestinians had been killed in renewed Israeli operations since March 18, bringing the total death toll to 50,810 since the war began.
The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,218 persons, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli numbers. Of the 251 hostages kidnapped during Hamas' October 7 attack, 58 are still in custody in Gaza, including 34 who the Israeli military believes are dead.
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