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Hamas has accepted a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel that includes the release of some hostages and Palestinian prisoners, an Egyptian official source told Reuters on Monday.
According to the official, the plan involves a halt to Israeli military operations for two months and a framework that could lead to a wider agreement to end the war, now nearing its second year.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed the group’s position in a post on Facebook, writing: “The movement has handed over its approval to the new proposal presented by the mediators.” Israel has not yet responded.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the plan is almost identical to an earlier proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had previously accepted.
The proposal would involve Hamas releasing about half of the hostages still held in Gaza. Israeli officials estimate that of the 50 remaining captives, about 20 are alive. The families of hostages have been pressing the government to reach a deal.
Dani Miran, whose son Omri was kidnapped on 7 October 2023, told Reuters in Tel Aviv: “I’m scared that my son would be hurt” if Israel goes ahead with an offensive in Gaza City.
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Sunday, demanding the government agree to a ceasefire and secure the release of the hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Gaza City Hamas’ last major stronghold. Israeli forces already control about three-quarters of the territory, but the military has warned that a ground offensive could endanger hostages and lead to prolonged urban fighting.
Thousands of Palestinians have fled eastern Gaza City, moving west and south to escape bombardment. Ahmed Mheisen, who manages a shelter in Beit Lahiya, told Reuters that nearly 1,000 families had left in recent days. He estimated that 1.5 million tents would be needed to house displaced people, but only 120,000 had entered Gaza during a previous ceasefire.
The UN says 1.35 million people in Gaza already need emergency shelter.
A Gaza resident, Mousa Obaid, told Reuters: “I am heading south because I need to ease my mental state. There is no life left, living conditions are hard, prices are high, and we have been without work for over a year and a half.”
Egypt and Qatar have been mediating between the two sides. The last round of indirect talks in July collapsed, with each side blaming the other.
Israel has said it wants all hostages released and Hamas to disarm, while Hamas told Reuters on Monday it rejects those conditions. Sharp differences also remain over the pace of Israeli troop withdrawals and how aid is distributed in Gaza, where aid agencies warn of famine.
The Gaza health ministry said on Monday that 263 people, including 112 children, have died from malnutrition since the war began, with five more deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Israel disputes the ministry’s figures.
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Israel’s air and ground campaign, according to Gaza health officials.
US President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform on Monday, “We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed. The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.”
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