Hamas considers plan to pause fighting but says it wants permanent ceasefire

Many buildings in the Gaza Strip have been reduced to rubble during Israel’s offensive (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Hamas officials said on Friday that the group is studying a proposed ceasefire deal that would include prolonged pauses in fighting in Gaza and swaps of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, but at the same time appeared to rule out some of its key components.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, said the group remains committed to its initial demands for a permanent ceasefire.