Saudi news outlet says Hamas could accept gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Hamas has demanded a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza as a prerequisite for a hostage release and ceasefire agreement. However, the Palestinian terror organization could potentially accept a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

Under such an agreement, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and several Arab states would jointly administer the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The sources also revealed that Hamas leaders may accept a gradual withdrawal of IDF troops from the strategically important Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors. In addition, Hamas is reportedly open to the prospect of greenlighting the PA to temporarily control the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.

This border crossing is vital for Hamas to rearm and rebuild its capabilities in Gaza following over a year of intense conflict with the Jewish state.

"There is an internal consensus to push for an agreement in Gaza,” the sources reportedly told the Saudi paper. The goal of the emerging potential Gaza agreement would be "to halt the fighting in Gaza for at least 60 days and allow Israel to maintain a military presence in the enclave," a Wall Street Journal report stated on Saturday, noting that "hostages held in Gaza would begin to be freed after seven days."

Hamas’ decision to soften its former hardline negotiation position is likely linked to various interconnected key factors including Hamas’s dramatically degraded military capabilities and declining influence. Furthermore, following the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October and the recent ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Hamas likely feels weaker and more isolated than at any point after it unleashed the Oct.7 war by massacring 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 251 people from southern Israeli border communities.

In addition, the existing Hamas leadership is likely aware of the fact that time is not on their side with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump assuming office in Washington in January. U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who visited Israel last week, revealed that Trump seeks a swift Gaza agreement before the presidential inauguration in January.

“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal. He wants to see it happening now,” Graham told the Axios news outlet, adding that “Trump is focused on the hostages issue. He wants the killing to stop and the fighting to end.”

In July, Trump warned during a Republican National Convention that Hamas would “pay a very big price” if the U.S. hostages were not released before he assumed office in January.

While Hamas is severely weakened and reportedly eager for a ceasefire, sources noted that the terror group demands that residents of northern Gaza return to their homes. It is currently unclear how this can be achieved in practice, especially because many buildings have been destroyed as a result of Hamas embedding itself in civilian structures.

Israel does not oppose the return of Gazan civilians to their homes, in principle, however, it is concerned that Hamas terrorists will blend in among the returning mass movement of civilians and seek to rearm and rebuild its capabilities.

While Israel has signaled a willingness for a ceasefire, the Israeli government has emphasized that it will continue the war until it has dismantled Hamas as a political and military threat in Gaza.