Photo by Musa Alzanoun
A senior Hamas source has told the group has accepted the latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal put forward by regional mediators, amid renewed efforts to halt the ongoing war in Gaza.
The proposal, jointly brokered by Egypt and Qatar, is reportedly based on a two-phase framework originally introduced by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in June. Under this plan, Hamas would release approximately half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages—believed to include only 20 survivors—in two stages during an initial 60-day truce. The plan also envisions negotiations during that period toward a permanent ceasefire.
Israel’s response remains uncertain. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has stated that any deal must ensure that all hostages are released simultaneously. Following reports that Hamas had agreed to the proposal, Netanyahu released a video statement in which he refrained from directly addressing the development but claimed the militant group was “under immense pressure.”
Later this week, Netanyahu’s cabinet is expected to greenlight the Israeli military’s plan to advance into Gaza City, the heart of the enclave’s north, where escalating Israeli air and ground operations have triggered a new wave of mass displacement among Palestinian civilians.
The prime minister has reiterated Israel’s commitment to expanding its military campaign and taking control of the entire Gaza Strip, including areas where most of the region’s 2 million residents have sought refuge. This declaration comes in the wake of a breakdown in indirect negotiations with Hamas last month over a possible ceasefire.
Public pressure is mounting within Israel. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Tel Aviv, urging the government to finalize a deal with Hamas that would immediately bring the remaining hostages home and bring the war to an end.
Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of undermining Israel’s negotiating position, alleging that their activism has emboldened Hamas’s demands. He maintains that the war will only conclude when all hostages are safely returned, Hamas is disarmed, and Gaza is demilitarized under continued Israeli security control. Additionally, Netanyahu envisions the territory being administered by a body unaffiliated with both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
For its part, Hamas is demanding a comprehensive agreement that includes the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and a formal end to hostilities. The group insists it will not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established.
The ongoing conflict began following a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
Since then, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 62,004 people, according to figures released by the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
