Hamas Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gaza Ceasefire Agreement Imminent

A Palestinian woman amid the rubble of her home in the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza after an Israeli airstrike. (EPA)
A Palestinian woman amid the rubble of her home in the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza after an Israeli airstrike. (EPA)
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Hamas Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gaza Ceasefire Agreement Imminent

A Palestinian woman amid the rubble of her home in the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza after an Israeli airstrike. (EPA)
A Palestinian woman amid the rubble of her home in the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza after an Israeli airstrike. (EPA)

A source within Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is expected by the end of this week, unless new complications arise.

The source said “most issues have been settled, and the agreement is close.” Only a few details remain under discussion.

Speaking under the conditions of anonymity, the source said the agreement calls for a ceasefire in the first phase and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from city centers, but not Gaza. Troops will remain partially in the Netzarim and Philadelphi areas. Women and children will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, with men returning later in stages through an agreed process.

The source added that “efforts are being made to include men in the first phase, and talks are ongoing.”

In the first phase, lasting 45 to 60 days, Hamas will release about 30 Israeli prisoners, including both living detainees and bodies, in exchange for a yet-to-be-determined number of Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences.

The agreement also includes handing control of the Rafah crossing to the Palestinian Authority, but not immediately, with Egypt overseeing the process.

Hamas sees its concessions as significant, especially in giving up the demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in the first phase. However, the source stressed that Hamas has guarantees for this in later stages of the agreement.

The release of the remaining prisoners and the end of hostilities will be discussed during the first phase.

Both Israel and Hamas confirmed major progress on Tuesday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the deal is “closer than ever” after past obstacles were removed.

Hamas issued a statement saying that, with serious and positive talks ongoing in Doha, a ceasefire and prisoner swap are possible if Israel stops adding new conditions.

Hamas is facing a complicated situation after losing much of its leadership, with regional shifts including the weakening of Hezbollah, the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, and changes in US policy.

Other sources close to Hamas say the group is under intense pressure to make concessions, with the cost of delaying too high.

Like Israel, Hamas wants to reach an agreement before US President Donald Trump takes office next month. An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Hamas is in its weakest position and warned, “The longer they wait, the worse the terms will be.”



Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
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Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)

Detainees at Hama Central Prison, who surrendered or were captured during battles that toppled Assad regime positions, will face trial on Thursday, a UK-based war monitor reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), trials will be held in batches.
A judicial committee linked to the Justice Ministry of the interim government formed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) will handle the cases, SOHR director Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The “Military Command Administration” is carrying out raids in Syria’s coastal regions, Hama, and Homs to arrest warlords accused of profiting from the conflict, the SOHR reported.
The campaign targets figures tied to regime leaders, including associates of Asma al-Assad, the ousted president’s wife, and former officials accused of war crimes.
The campaign is targeting officers, militias, and informants accused of crimes against Syrians, according to the SOHR.
After the regime’s collapse and intensified fighting, hundreds of officers and fighters surrendered, with many now detained as prisoners of war.
The SOHR has urged treating detainees according to international laws, allowing them to contact their families, and ensuring fair trials before independent courts.
The organization also called for convicted individuals to be informed of legal procedures and the timelines for each step.

The White Helmets have uncovered around 20 unidentified bodies and skeletal remains in a drug warehouse near the Sayyida Zainab area in Damascus, Syrian Civil Defense official Ammar Al-Salmo said on Wednesday.
Sayyida Zainab, a southern Damascus district, was a Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militia stronghold since 2012. These groups claimed to defend the site during Syria’s uprising. According to AFP, they have now been replaced by local armed groups.
Al-Salmo, speaking near the shrine, said, “We received reports of foul odors and remains in the warehouse.”
A small refrigerator held about 10 decomposed bodies, with bones and skulls scattered across the room.
The remains, believed to be 1-2 years old, were collected for DNA testing.
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria on December 8 after opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham launched a rapid offensive, ending 13 years of his regime’s oppression of opposition protests.
The SOHR reported that military authorities are prosecuting individuals linked to war crimes under public pressure for justice and to prevent acts of personal retribution. Accountability for crimes remains a core demand of the Syrian revolution.