The request reportedly came from Qatari mediators and is seen as a symbolic concession toward Israel’s longstanding demand for Hamas to disarm.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Several high-ranking Hamas officials living abroad have been asked to give up their personal firearms, as part of efforts to advance a ceasefire deal in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages, The Times of London reported. The request reportedly came from Qatari mediators and is seen as a symbolic concession toward Israel’s longstanding demand for Hamas to disarm.

Among those asked to relinquish their weapons are senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, West Bank leader Zaher Jabarin, and Muhammad Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas’s Shura Council. While this step is not expected to lead to full disarmament, it reflects a willingness to cooperate in the ongoing negotiations, which Qatar and Egypt are brokering with U.S. support.

Hamas confirmed it is reviewing a new ceasefire proposal. “We are engaged in discussions aimed at reaching an agreement that will put an end to the aggression, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the group said.

The Trump administration put forward the current hostage proposal under review and has been approved by Israel.

The agreement would call for a 60-day pause in fighting, coinciding with the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners. The releases will occur in five phases throughout the period.

Even as Israel has agreed to the proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the determination to ensure that Hamas will no longer hold sway in Gaza as a political or military force.

During a visit to a military base in southern Israel, Netanyahu said of Hamas, “We will destroy them completely. We will free all the hostages – with the destruction of Hamas, these are not contradictory objectives.”

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’aar said, “We are serious in our intention to reach an agreement on the hostages and the ceasefire. We have said yes to the proposals of the American envoy Steve Witkoff. There are positive signs, but it is too early to say more.”

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“The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization and remove any threat to the State of Israel,” the Israeli military stated.

By Vered Weiss

The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that it eliminated four out of six of the most senior Hamas officials in Gaza, including the head of the government, Essam al-Da’alis.

The other three who were killed were identified as Mahmoud Abu Watfa, director-general of Hamas’s Interior Ministry, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas’s internal security, and Hamas’s justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta.

It is possible that all six were eliminated, but the fate of two others has not been confirmed.

Essam al-Da’alis had replaced Rawhi Mushtaha as head of the Hamas government after the latter was eliminated in July 2024.

“The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization and remove any threat to the State of Israel,” the IDF stated.

Naji Abu Seif, widely recognized as Abu Hamza, the longtime spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, the military branch of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was also killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, according to reports.

At the time of the strike, Abu Hamza was reportedly hiding with his wives and children, all of whom perished along with him.

His death represents a major blow to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as Abu Hamza was one of the group’s most prominent figures, frequently featured in videos where he threatened Israel and lauded attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Israel renewed the targeted airstrikes on Tuesday after Hamas refused a proposal to release hostages and extend the ceasefire.

On Tuesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with his security chiefs at the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss the air campaign against Hamas, which had begun earlier that day, as well as the possibility of expanding the operation.

An Israeli official, speaking to The Times of Israel, stated that the Netanyahu government intends “to move forward” with an expanded military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

However, the official also emphasized that Israel will remain open to resuming hostage negotiations if Hamas shows a genuine willingness to engage in discussions.

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Although there is some indication Hamas has dropped the ceasefire requirement, Israeli officials speculated that Egyptian officials may be placing an overly positive spin on negotiations to delay the IDF’s Rafah operation.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu has held back a delegation from going to Cairo for hostage negotiations on Saturday until Hamas indicates they are ready to agree to the current proposal, KAN news reports.

The reason Netanyahu held back the delegation, according to an Israeli official, was that he refused to agree to any hostage deal that would require Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire, a condition Hamas has insisted on repeatedly.

Netanyahu has emphasized that even if the United States pushes for Israel to accept such a proposal, Israel won’t agree.

Currently, Israel is the only party absent from the negotiations in Cairo, which currently includes Egyptian, US, Qatari, and Hamas officials.

Netanyahu has indicated, according to the report, that if Hamas says it is willing to negotiate the current agreement, the Israeli delegation will be given the green light to make the trip to Cairo.

An Israeli official commented,” We will not want to make a commitment before we see if Hamas is flexible.”

Another Israeli official added the delegation would go to Cairo only if it saw “positive movement” regarding the deal, however, the negotiation is expected to be “long and tough.”

Israeli officials said there is some indication Hamas has dropped its demand to end the war in the first phase of the deal.

However, the officials added that Egyptian sources may be trying to sound overly confident about a deal to delay the start of the operation in Rafah.

The current hostage deal would begin with a 40-day pause in fighting and the release of 33 female, elderly male, children, and ill or wounded hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Later phases involve the release of male hostages and a ceasefire.

Last week, some Hamas sources indicated that they were ready to reject the newest hostage deal.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, “Our position on the current negotiating paper is negative.”

Hamas’s press office clarified, “The negative position does not mean negotiations have stopped. There is a back-and-forth issue.”

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