Israel receives Hamas's response to hostage deal proposal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, on behalf of Mossad, reported that intermediaries have delivered Hamas's response to the proposal for a hostage release deal.

"The mediators in the hostage release deal have conveyed Hamas's reaction to the plan to the negotiating team. Israel is studying the response and will provide an answer to the mediators," the official statement said.

However, the Kan-11 TV channel, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, reported that Hamas has indicated it is not interested in continuing talks until it receives guarantees that the IDF will withdraw from the so-called Philadelphi Route along the Egyptian border.

Security sources told the Ynet website that the proposal received from Hamas is "one of the best and could serve as a basis for further negotiations." Nonetheless, the Ynet source emphasized that significant differences between Israel and Hamas remain.