The level of destruction in Gaza caused by Israel’s nine-month offensive has likely influenced Hamas into lowering its demands for an agreement on a ceasefire.

Hamas appeared to have dropped its demand, which it had been making for years, that Israel agree to a cease-fire agreement in exchange for Israel ending the war. This sudden change has raised hopes that international-brokered negotiations will progress.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, boasted on Sunday that Israel’s two-month-old offensive against Gaza’s southern city of Rafah “is what led Hamas into negotiations.”

Hamas is a militant Islamic group that wants to destroy Israel and has taken control of Gaza since 2007. It is a highly secretive organization and very little is known about it.

The Associated Press has seen recent Hamas internal communications in which several Hamas leaders in Gaza have urged their exiled leadership to accept the U.S. president Joe Biden’s cease-fire proposal.

A Middle East official who is familiar with ongoing negotiations shared the messages. They described the severe losses Hamas suffered on the battlefield, and the desperate conditions in the war-ravaged territories. The official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, shared the contents of Hamas’ internal communications.

Hamas was not flexible because of this internal pressure. The messages show that there are divisions in the group, and top militants are willing to make a deal, even though Hamas’s top official in Gaza Yahya sinwar may not be in any hurry. Sinwar, who has been hiding in a tunnel since the outbreak of war last October, is believed to have been holed up there.

Officials in the United States declined to comment about the communications.

A person familiar with Western Intelligence who spoke under the condition of anonymity in order to discuss this sensitive matter, said that the leadership of the group understands their forces have suffered heavy casualties and this has helped Hamas to move closer to a truce-fire agreement.

Two U.S. officials claim that the Americans know about the internal divisions in Hamas. They also say that the destruction in Gaza, or the pressure exerted by Egypt and Qatar as mediators could have played a role in Hamas lowering its demands. Under the condition of anonymity, the U.S. officials discussed the Biden administration’s view on the current situation.

The Middle Eastern official revealed details from two Hamas internal communications. Both were written by senior Hamas officials in Gaza and sent to the exiled Hamas leadership based in Qatar where Hamas supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh is located.

The communication implied that the war took a toll upon Hamas fighters. Senior figures encouraged the militants’ political wing in the West to accept the agreement despite Sinwar’s resistance.

Hamas’ spokesperson Jihad Taha denied any suggestion of divisions in the group.

He said that the position of the movement is unified, and crystallized by the organization framework of the leaders.

The official refused to give any details on how or in what form the information was obtained.

Officials said that the communications were made in May and in June by senior members of the military wing of the group in Gaza.

The messages confirmed that Hamas fighters were killed, and also the extent of destruction caused by Israel’s campaign in Gaza Strip. These messages also indicate that Sinwar is either not fully aware of how many people have been killed in the conflict or hasn’t communicated it fully to those who are negotiating outside the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh and other senior officials in Qatar may not have responded.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the communication. Egypt and Qatar had also declined to comment.

Egypt and Qatar are working together with the United States in order to broker a truce and bring an end to the nine-month-old war. After months of sporadic talks, the talks resumed this week and will continue in the next few days.

A deal is not yet guaranteed. Netanyahu’s office said over the weekend “gaps remain”. The U.S. officials are cautiously optimistic based on recent developments.

The sides are closer than in recent months to reaching a settlement.

Israel began its war in Gaza following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October, in which militants smashed into the area and killed 1,200 people – mostly civilians – while capturing 250 others. Israel claims that Hamas still holds about 120 hostages, about a third believed to be dead.

According to the Health Ministry of Gaza, who does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, since then the Israeli air and land offensive has killed over 38,000 people. According to international officials, the offensive has led to widespread destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe that has brought hundreds of thousands people close enough to famine.

Israel’s actions during the Gaza war have been scrutinized by international law. This includes a case brought before the U.N. top court by South Africa on genocide charges and a request by the International Criminal Court prosecutor for an arrest warrant against Netanyahu. The prosecutor also requested warrants for Hamas leader leaders.

Hamas officials and Egyptian officials both confirmed on Saturday that Hamas had dropped its key demand for Israel to commit in advance to ending the war. Netanyahu has rejected this demand repeatedly, causing the talks to stall for months.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing discussions. They said that the deal, which would be phased, would begin with a six week ceasefire, during which Hamas would release older, sick, and female hostages, in exchange for hundreds Palestinian prisoners. They said that only during this phase would talks on a wider deal, which includes an end to war, begin.

Netanyahu has pledged to continue fighting until Israel destroys Hamas’ military and governance capabilities, even after the hostages have been freed.