Hamas has demonstrated increased flexibility in peace negotiations, offering key concessions in a new proposal for a 60-day pause in fighting and hostage exchanges, The Washington Post reported Sunday.
The terror group has retreated from previous demands for a complete halt to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli forces, according to a Hamas official who spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Progress has also been made regarding the number of hostages Israel demands in the first phase. The number includes, as mediated, adults over 50, those who are ill, and all who qualify as "humanitarian cases" in exchange for six weeks of ceasefire.
In a sign of diplomatic movement, Hamas recently provided Israel with names of living hostages through Egyptian intermediaries, according to a former Egyptian official who spoke to The Washington Post anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, "There will be overwhelming support for the deal that's on the table, we're closer than we've ever been."
The shift comes as Hamas faces growing pressure from Palestinians in Gaza, who are increasingly critical of the group as they struggle with displacement, hunger, and continued Israeli military operations after more than 14 months of conflict.
A recent proposal includes provisions for exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, though Hamas maintains its insistence that displaced Palestinians be allowed to return to northern Gaza, the official told The Washington Post.
The organization's military capabilities have been significantly reduced, according to Tahani Mustafa, senior Palestine analyst at the International Crisis Group, though she noted Hamas "has shown that it has the capacity to maintain a long-term insurgency."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any postwar role for Hamas in Gaza and dismissed the possibility of the Palestinian Authority's return to the territory. Meanwhile, some members of his far-right coalition are advocating for annexation and resettlement of the enclave.
Public support for Hamas in Gaza has declined sharply, with satisfaction in the group's performance dropping to 39% in September from 64% in June, according to polling by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.
Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli forces had killed "close to 20,000" Hamas terrorists. The IDF conducted operations that resulted in the deaths of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July and military leader Yahya Sinwar in southern Gaza in October.
Some analysts suggest Hamas is attempting to balance acknowledgment of public discontent while maintaining its position as the face of resistance against Israel. "Hamas realizes that it will be out of the governance picture for a long time," but will remain entrenched as "an idea, an ideology, an active political party in Palestinian mainstream politics," said Tamer Qarmout, a Gazan professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
