CAIRO, July 24. /TASS/. In its response to the Gaza ceasefire proposal, Hamas amended provisions on humanitarian deliveries to the enclave and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from there, the Al Hadath television channel reported.

According to sources close to the radicals, the document that was handed over to the mediators contains the demand that Israeli troops be pulled out to a distance of 1.3 kilometers from the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Apart from that Hamas insists that at least part of humanitarian aid be delivered to the enclave "through the United Nations and its agencies" instead of being distributed by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The Sky News Arabia television channel reported on Wednesday that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators at the indirect talks between Hamas and Israel asked the radicals to present a more constructive response to the Gaza settlement proposals. According to the television channel, Hamas’ response was made up mainly comments on issues of humanitarian deliveries, the roadmap of the Israeli troops’ withdrawal from the enclave, and ceasefire guarantees.

Under the latest Gaza settlement initiative, during a 60-day ceasefire, Hamas is supposed to release of ten hostages and transfer of 18 bodies of hostages who died in the Gaza Strip. Israel, in turn, is to release at least 1,100 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 150 Arabs serving life sentences. Apart from that, the initiative provides for increased humanitarian deliveries to the enclave.

According to the Hamas-affiliated Maan agency, an agreement on Gaza is expected to be signed later this week or at the beginning of the next one. It did not rule out that the deal will be announced "this Sunday, or probably Friday, is all the details are finally agreed upon.".