GAZA -- Hamas said in a statement on Friday night that it has delivered a "positive" response to mediators over a Gaza ceasefire proposal.

"Hamas has completed its consultations with Palestinian factions and forces on the mediators' latest proposal to stop the aggression against our people in Gaza. The movement has delivered its response to the mediators, which was positive," the statement said.

"The movement is seriously prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework," it added. (Hamas-Ceasefire Proposal-Positive Response)

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JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement Friday that it currently maintains operational control of over 65 percent of the Gaza Strip.

The statement was accompanied by a military map highlighting areas under Israeli control, primarily in the north, south, and eastern parts of the enclave, along with the deployment of IDF divisions across the region. (Israel-Gaza-Control)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Iran continues to view diplomacy as effective means of resolving disputes, provided that the other side is genuinely committed to those solutions in practice.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, where he took part in the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization earlier in the day, according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Pezeshkian said while Iran sought to resolve the existing issues through negotiations with the West, especially the United States, Israel launched attacks against the country. (Iran-United States-Nuclear Talks)

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DAMASCUS -- Syria has expressed its readiness to work with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement, amid ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Syria, according to a statement released Friday by the Syrian foreign affairs authorities.

The statement revealed content of discussions made during a phone call between Syrian foreign affairs chief Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which both sides talked about key issues such as the removal of U.S. sanctions, Israeli attacks in Syria, and Iran's regional role following its recent military showdown with Israel, as well as the Syria-U.S. bilateral ties. (Syria-Israel-United States-Negotiations) Enditem