The Islamist Hamas has, according to its own statement, presented international mediators with a"positive response" to a new ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip. The proposal was put forward by Egypt and Qatar, an official of the terrorist organization said on Monday. Details on the content of the ceasefire plan were not immediately available.
The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas—mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar—had stalled again at the end of July. According to Israeli and American accounts, Hamas derailed the negotiations with excessive demands. The US and Israeli delegations were subsequently recalled to their respective capitals for consultations. Since then, there has been no progress.
Apparently updated form of Witkoff proposal
A proposal by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for a 60-day ceasefire was recently on the negotiating table. According to Israeli media reports, the latest proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators is an updated version. According to this proposal, ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 abductees are to be released during the 60-day period in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
There are still 50 hostages in the Gaza Strip, of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive. Hamas terrorists and other Islamists kidnapped more than 250 people from Israel to Gaza in their terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed.
Just over a week ago, Israel's security cabinet decided to expand the Gaza war. The plan calls for the capture of Gaza City and key refugee camps to crush Hamas. Media speculated that the announcement could be a negotiating tactic to put massive pressure on Hamas to return to the negotiating table and show more flexibility. Since then, efforts to secure a ceasefire in the nearly two-year-old Gaza war have been underway in the background.
Netanyahu: Hamas is under enormous pressure
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that he had heard media reports about a"positive response" from Hamas. One can only draw one impression from them: Hamas is under enormous pressure.
Israeli media had reported in recent days that the head of government was only willing to accept an agreement if it included the release of all remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip and an end to the war on Israeli terms.
However, there is concern among his far-right coalition partners that Netanyahu might also agree to a so-called partial agreement, a temporary ceasefire during which only some of the hostages would be released. Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich strongly reject this and instead call for massive military pressure on Hamas to force it to agree to a comprehensive agreement. Netanyahu did not address this in his video message.
