Hamas on Monday agreed to a ceasefire plan for Gaza that involves a 60-day truce, a phased hostage release, partial Israeli troop withdrawal, and direct talks toward ending the conflict, according to a Reuters report published Tuesday. Meanwhile, Israel is reportedly reviewing the proposal and is expected to give a decision by week’s end.
According to details from Hamas officials and Egyptian security sources who spoke with the US-based news agency, the deal is quite similar to an earlier US-backed proposal that Hamas had rejected in July. Here’s how the plan is structured:
Key Terms of the Ceasefire Proposal
- Hostage Exchange: Ten Israeli hostages will be released along with the bodies of 18 others, over a period of 60 days. Israel estimates that about 50 hostages are still in Hamas’s custody, with at least 20 of them believed to still be alive.
- Prisoner Swap: Israel will release 150 Palestinians serving life sentences in addition to 50 serving long terms.
- Dead-for-Dead: For each returned body of an Israeli, Israel will return 10 bodies of Palestinian “militants”.
- Humanitarian Access: Israel will allow aid into Gaza with oversight from the United Nations and the Red Cross.
- Troop Withdrawal: Israeli forces will remain in Gaza but would pull back to a one kilometre (0.6-mile) buffer near the north and east borders, including Beit Lahiya and Shejaia.
- Next Steps: Once the agreed upon truce is in place, Hamas and Israel will start talks on a permanent ceasefire.
Mediators Pushing in Full Swing to Revive US Ceasefire Model
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that mediators are pushing full steam to revive the US ceasefire model and have invited President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff into talks. Hamas has accepted the proposal, Bassem Naim, a senior official of the Palestinian armed group, recently told The Associated Press.
Egypt, meanwhile, has reportedly forwarded the plan to Israeli officials.
Israel doesn’t appear to have shifted its stance with officials reiterating their demands for full hostage release, as reported by AP. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Human Cost: Over 62,000 Gaza Lives Lost
Gaza’s Health Ministry has said that more than 62,004 people, including children, lost their lives and 156,230 others have been left injured since the war began. Reports suggest that the ministry — operated under Hamas-led government in the war-ravaged enclave — remains a key source even amid Israeli disagreement.
Aid Efforts Remain Dire
At least five more deaths linked to malnutrition were reported this week even as humanitarian organisations accuse Israel of contributing to famine conditions. Israel has denied a widespread starvation campaign, with UN agencies citing logistical hurdles due to security breakdowns.
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