A top Hamas leader called for US President-elect Donald Trump to put pressure on Israel to halt the war, saying Friday that the organisation is “ready for a ceasefire” in Gaza.

Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told AFP that “Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire proposal is presented and on the condition that it is respected” by Israel.

We urge Trump and the US administration to put pressure on Israel to stop the assault.

https://www.instagram.com/godfatheraluminium1/profilecard/?igsh=dWw5YW05djR4MWNl

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558144097511&mibextid=LQQJ4d

“Any proposal that would result in a final ceasefire and military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, allowing for the return of displaced people, a serious agreement for a prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid, and reconstruction is welcome,” Naim continued, adding that Hamas told the mediators.

Since the beginning of the war, Hamas has raised these requests in many rounds of ceasefire talks.

Trump pledged to grant Israel more freedom and to bring about peace in the Middle East throughout his campaign.

Naim’s remarks follow Qatar’s announcement on Saturday that it has halted its mediation role in a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement for Gaza unless Israel and Hamas demonstrate “seriousness” in negotiations.

With US approval, the Gulf emirate has been home to Hamas’s political leadership since 2012. The emirate has been engaged in months of intensive diplomacy to put an end to the conflict that was sparked by the Palestinian organization’s October 7 attack on Israel last year.

According to an AFP count of Israeli government data, 1,206 individuals were killed in the Hamas attack, the majority of them were civilians.

According to estimates from the UN-recognized health ministry of the Hamas-run enclave, Israel’s retaliatory attack has killed 43,764 individuals in Gaza, the majority of whom were civilians.