Hamas has given a preliminary approval to the U.S.-backed proposal for a phased ceasefire agreement in Gaza, abandoning a key demand for Israel to provide a prior commitment to a complete end to the war, a Hamas official and an Egyptian said on Saturday.

The clear concession by Hamas – which controlled Gaza before igniting the war with the October 7 attack on Israel – may help in reaching the first ceasefire since last November and pave the way for further talks on ending the devastating nine-month war, but all parties have warned that an agreement is still not guaranteed.

The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, said the phased Washington agreement would initially include a “full” ceasefire for six weeks, during which a number of hostages, including women, elderly and wounded, would be released in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The two men said that during these 42 days, Israeli forces would also withdraw from densely populated areas in Gaza and allow displaced people to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

The officials stated that during that period, Hamas, Israel, and the mediators would also negotiate the terms of the second phase, which could see the release of the remaining male hostages, both civilians and soldiers. In return, Israel would release more Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The third phase would witness the return of any remaining hostages, including the bodies of deceased prisoners, and the start of a reconstruction project lasting years.

The officials said that Hamas still wants “written guarantees” from the mediators that Israel would continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire agreement once the first phase goes into effect.

A Hamas representative told the Associated Press that the movement's approval came after it received “oral commitments and guarantees” from the mediators that the war would not resume and negotiations would continue until a permanent ceasefire is reached.

He said, “Now we want these guarantees on paper.”

The intermittent ceasefire talks have been stalled for months over Hamas's demand that any agreement include a complete end to the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a temporary halt to hostilities but not a complete end until Israel achieves its goals of destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities and recovering all hostages held by the group.

Hamas had previously expressed concern that Israel would resume the war after the release of hostages. Similarly, Israeli officials have voiced worries that Hamas would prolong negotiations and the initial ceasefire indefinitely without releasing all hostages.

Netanyahu’s office did not respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate comment from Washington.

The Israeli prime minister confirmed on Friday that the head of the Mossad intelligence agency made a brief visit to Qatar, one of the key mediators. However, his office said that “gaps between the two sides” remain.

Israel launched the war on Gaza following the Hamas attack in October, during which fighters breached southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and taking about 250 hostage.

Since then, the Israeli air and ground assault has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the territory, causing widespread destruction and unleashing a humanitarian crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine, according to international officials. Israel claims that Hamas is still holding about 120 hostages – with a third of them believed to be dead.

The officials noted that in line with previous proposals, the deal would see around 600 trucks of humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily – including 50 fuel trucks – with 300 heading to the heavily affected northern sector. Following the Israeli attack on the southern city of Rafah, the supplies of aid entering Gaza have dramatically decreased.

Saturday's news comes as Israeli fighting and airstrikes on Gaza continue unabated.

In the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, a funeral prayer was held for 12 Palestinians, including five children and two women, who were killed in three separate airstrikes in central Gaza on Friday and Saturday, according to hospital officials. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where Associated Press reporters counted their bodies.

Earlier this week, about 250,000 Palestinians were affected by an Israeli evacuation order in the southern city of Khan Younis and surrounding areas. Most Palestinians seeking safety are heading either to the “safe zone” declared by Israel, located in a coastal area called the Mawasi, or to the nearby city of Deir al-Balah.

Ground fighting has also intensified in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City over the past two weeks, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Many have sought refuge in the Yarmouk Sports Stadium, one of the largest football fields in the territory.