Hamas says it remains ready to implement US-backed Gaza peace proposal

Hamas announced on Aug 8 that it is still prepared to move forward with the US-backed Gaza peace plan, urging the United States to pressure Israel to approve the next phase.

On Aug 8, Hamas confirmed its willingness to proceed with the US-backed Gaza peace framework, stating it would surrender arms to a fledgling Palestinian governing committee if Israel gives its consent and starts implementing its side of the pact. The group appealed to the US government to exert pressure on Israel to fulfill the agreement and move to the second phase. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a re-election battle, has said Israel has not agreed to the draft presented by the Board of Peace.

The Board of Peace earlier hailed Hamas’s acceptance of disarmament as a breakthrough, linking it to a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel’s military continues operations, though intensity has dropped, with a recent incident at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis injuring three people. Since the ceasefire in October, the Gaza health ministry, under Hamas authority, reports 1,257 Palestinian deaths and the Israeli army records five of its own fatalities.