1. Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
2. Details of the proposal includes an initial 60-day truce and the phased release of hostages.
3. The ceasefire plan comes days after Israel’s security cabinet approved an expansion of operations into Gaza City.
Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza brokered by Egypt and Qatar, raising hopes of an end to the 22-month war. The militant group confirmed it was ready for talks without seeking changes to the draft plan, but Israel has yet to respond.
“Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting any amendments,” a Hamas source told AFP. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks said mediators were expected to announce progress soon, with guarantees offered to ensure implementation and pave the way for a permanent solution.
The proposal reportedly includes an initial 60-day truce and the phased release of hostages. Out of 251 people seized during Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, the military says 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 confirmed dead.
The ceasefire plan comes days after Israel’s security cabinet approved an expansion of operations into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, sparking both international criticism and domestic opposition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel will only accept a deal that ensures the release of all hostages “at once and according to our conditions.”
Islamic Jihad sources said all Palestinian factions support the Egyptian-Qatari initiative, with captives to be freed in stages as negotiations continue.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "will agree to an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war".
As per the Israeli defence forces, of the 251 hostages taken during the October 2023 attack by Hamas, 49 are still in Gaza, of which 27 are feared dead. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty visited the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Monday said that the mediator countries were trying to heir best to reach a deal as soon as possible.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens for the over two million people living in the Gaza Strip, where UN agencies and aid groups have warned of famine, Abdelatty stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement. "The current situation on the ground is beyond imagination," he said.
