The latest bid to seal a ceasefire follows an Israeli proposal which Hamas had rejected earlier this month as "partial", calling instead for a "comprehensive" agreement to halt the war ignited by the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The rejected Israeli offer, according to a senior Hamas official, included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.

Hamas has signaled a willingness to end the Gaza war through a one-time prisoner exchange for all remaining hostages and a five-year cessation of hostilities, a senior movement official told AFP on Saturday. The offer, to be discussed by a Hamas delegation meeting mediators in Cairo, marks a notable softening from the group’s rejection of an earlier Israeli proposal for a 45-day truce in exchange for ten living captives.

However, Nono ruled out a key Israeli demand that Hamas disarm. Israel insists on the demilitarization of Gaza. "The weapon of resistance is not negotiable and will remain in our hands as long as the occupation exists," Nono said. Hamas has previously indicated it might agree to a long-term truce in exchange for an end to Israeli occupation, though such offers were part of broader proposals.