Israel has said it will give its response to international mediators by Friday on a new Gaza ceasefire plan accepted by Hamas, amid growing pressure for a ceasefire in a war that has claimed the lives of more than 62,000 Palestinians.
Following massive protests in Israel demanding a deal to secure the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages being held alive in Gaza, Hamas appeared to have scaled back its demands regarding a prisoner exchange for hostages, as well as regarding the scope of a “security buffer zone” sought by Israel.
According to reported details of the proposed plan, about half of the remaining surviving hostages, as well as the bodies, would be released in a phased deal in exchange for about 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, some of whom are serving life sentences, during an anticipated 60-day ceasefire.
While Israel has said it is no longer interested in a partial deal, threatening instead with a new full-scale offensive to capture Gaza City, the details of the new ceasefire proposal bring it very close to the outline of a deal initially suggested by Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Mossad chief David Barnea recently visited Qatar amid speculation that talks are more active than Israel has officially acknowledged.
Israeli officials have said Benjamin Netanyahu will convene talks on the proposal in the coming days. A senior Israeli official told AFP that the government's position had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday that the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal agreed to by Hamas was “almost identical” to an earlier plan presented by Witkoff. Hamas had given a “very positive response and indeed it was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to,” the spokesman said.
Egypt said on Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel and "the ball is now in its court."
