An official with the Palestinian militant group on Wednesday said that Hamas would respond to an Israeli truce proposal for Gaza within a very short period.
The official stressed that any ceasefire needs to be permanent.
Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of scores of hostages for larger numbers of Palestinian prisoners.
A senior Hamas official, Suhail al-Hindi said the group would “deliver its response clearly within a very short period.”
He stated that it was premature to say whether the Hamas envoys, who have returned from talks in Cairo to their base in Qatar, felt any progress was made.
The source said Israel’s proposal contained “real concessions” including a period of “sustainable calm” following an initial pause in fighting and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The source said Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip remained a likely point of contention.
