Qatar Says Hamas Acceptance of Gaza Truce Plan Nearly Mirrors Israeli-Approved Proposal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Qatar said Tuesday that a Gaza ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas was “almost identical” to a version previously agreed to by Israel, raising hopes for progress in halting the 22-month war in the territory.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters that Hamas had given “a very positive response” to the initiative, which was drawn up by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. support. “It truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to,” he said, without specifying what modifications had been made.

While careful not to declare a breakthrough, Ansari stressed the urgency of the moment. “We are at a decisive humanitarian moment. If we don’t reach a deal now, we will face a humanitarian catastrophe that will make all those that preceded it pale in comparison,” he warned.

The renewed mediation effort comes after months of stalled talks. Negotiations in Doha collapsed in July, when Israel initially approved a truce framework but later rejected amendments requested by Hamas. The latest proposal, according to Ansari, includes a two-month truce and arrangements for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, as well as a staggered release of Israeli hostages. The plan is based on a U.S.-drafted framework first introduced by Washington’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

Egyptian officials also confirmed the renewed push. Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, said Cairo and Doha had finalized the new draft in line with the U.S. proposal and presented it to Israel. “The ball is now in its court,” Rashwan told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, which is linked to the country’s intelligence services.

Hamas, for its part, publicly welcomed the offer. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a statement on Facebook that the group had submitted its formal approval to the mediators. “We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war on our people,” he wrote. A Hamas source earlier told AFP that the group accepted the terms “without requesting any amendments.”

The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, sparking Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Now in its 22nd month, it has left tens of thousands dead and displaced much of the strip’s population, with repeated warnings from aid agencies about looming famine and disease. Two brief ceasefires brokered earlier in the conflict failed to yield a sustainable end to hostilities.

Whether this latest agreement will be implemented remains uncertain, but mediators expressed cautious optimism that Hamas’s acceptance of a plan already approved by Israel could offer a rare opening for a breakthrough.