Monday, 25 May 2026
Palestinians inspect the damage at a school sheltering displaced people, following an overnight Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, July 3, 2025. REUTERS
Hamas seeks assurances on ceasefire as death toll rises in Gaza
CAIRO/GAZA – Hamas is demanding solid assurances that a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal in Gaza will ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war, according to a source close to the group on Thursday. Meanwhile, medical officials reported that Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have claimed dozens more lives.
Israeli authorities indicated there is now strong potential for a ceasefire and hostage agreement nearly 21 months after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, Reuters said.
Intense Israeli bombardments persisted throughout Gaza, leaving at least 59 people dead on Thursday, territory health officials reported.
Diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza have accelerated after the U.S. brokered a truce to halt a 12-day aerial conflict between Israel and Iran. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel had accepted the conditions for a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which negotiators would pursue a comprehensive end to the war.
A source with knowledge of Hamas' position confirmed the group wants unequivocal guarantees that this ceasefire will culminate in a lasting cessation of the conflict. Two Israeli officials noted that such details remain under negotiation.
Resolving how and when the war would officially end has been the principal obstacle in previous rounds of failed talks.
Another source familiar with the negotiations said Israel expected a formal response from Hamas by Friday. If that response is favorable, an Israeli team would join indirect talks to finalize the agreement—potentially in either Egypt or Qatar, the nations mediating the discussions.
The proposal under consideration entails a phased release: 10 living Israeli hostages would be freed, along with the return of the bodies of 18 others, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, sources indicate. Of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, about 20 are believed to be alive.
A senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that preparations are ready to greenlight a ceasefire deal, even as Netanyahu plans to meet Trump in Washington on Monday.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Ynet news that there is “definitely readiness to advance a deal.”
Yet in Gaza, fresh suffering continues. At least 17 people died when an Israeli strike hit a Gaza City school sheltering displaced families, medics said.
"Suddenly, we felt the tent collapse over us and saw flames. We don't know exactly what happened," witness Wafaa Al-Arqan told Reuters. “What should we do? Is it right for so many children to suffer like this?”
Medics at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said at least 20 more civilians were killed by Israeli fire as they made their way to an aid distribution center.