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Hamas responded to US-backed ceasefire proposals on Saturday, saying it had agreed to release 28 living and dead hostages but restating its demand for an end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The Palestinian militant group said it would release 10 living hostages and hand over the bodies of 18 dead in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons.

A Hamas official described the group's response to the proposals from US President Donald Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as "positive" but said it was seeking some amendments.

The official did not elaborate on the changes being sought by the group. "This response aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to our people in the Strip," Hamas said in a statement.

60-day truce and the exchange of 28 of the 58 hostages

The proposals would see a 60-day truce and the exchange of 28 of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza for more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, along with the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks told Reuters that among the amendments Hamas is seeking is the release of the hostages in three phases over the 60-day truce and more aid distribution in different areas. Hamas also wants guarantees the deal will lead to a permanent ceasefire, the official said.

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Netanyahu yet to respond

There was no immediate response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to the Hamas statement. Israel has previously rejected Hamas' conditions, instead demanding the complete disarmament of the group and its dismantling as a military and governing force, along with the return of all 58 remaining hostages.

Trump said on Friday he believed a ceasefire agreement was close after the latest proposals, and the White House said on Thursday that Israel had agreed to the terms. Hamas said on Friday that the Israeli response to the proposals, which has not been made public, was unacceptable but it had agreed to consider the plan due to a "deep sense of responsibility toward our people".

ALSO READ: White House Confirms Israel Has Accepted US Proposal for Temporary Ceasefire; Hamas Reviewing Terms

Tammy Bruce declined to confirm a Hamas response

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to confirm a Hamas response or provide any details. But, in an interview with Fox News, she said the United States would not take Hamas at its word but wait to see its actions. On Saturday, the Israeli military, which relaunched its air and ground campaign in March following a two-month truce, said it was continuing to hit targets in Gaza, including sniper posts and had killed what it said was the head of a Hamas weapons manufacturing site.

The campaign has cleared large areas along the boundaries of the Gaza Strip, squeezing the population of more than 2 million into an ever narrower section along the coast and around the southern city of Khan Younis. Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies entering the enclave at the beginning of March in an effort to weaken Hamas and has found itself under increasing pressure from an international community shocked by the desperate humanitarian situation the blockade has created.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Daily Jagran staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)