Hamas has agreed to a new proposal from Egypt to release five hostages, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, in exchange for a renewed ceasefire, CNN reported, citing a Hamas source.
The Egyptian proposal closely resembles an earlier plan presented by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. However, it remains unclear whether this updated proposal includes the release of additional bodies of deceased hostages.
As part of the agreement, Hamas expects a return to phase 1 ceasefire conditions, which include the entry of humanitarian aid and discussions on negotiating the second phase of the ceasefire, the source stated.
Israel has responded with a counter-proposal, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted a series of consultations yesterday, following a proposal received from the mediators. In recent hours, Israel transferred its counter-proposal to the mediators, in full coordination with the United States,” the office stated.
Israeli media reports suggest that the initiative would enable a truce in Gaza in exchange for the release of five Israeli captives.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning to Hamas earlier this week, stating that Israel would maintain a permanent presence in parts of Gaza unless the hostages are released, CNN reported.
The fragile ceasefire collapsed on Tuesday as Israel bombarded Gaza, ending two months of relative calm that had previously seen dozens of hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, according to CNN.
On Friday, Katz announced that he had instructed the Israeli military to “seize additional areas in Gaza, while evacuating the population, and to expand the security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers through permanent maintenance of the territory by Israel.”
“The more Hamas continues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel,” he added, according to CNN.
Earlier this month, Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza, enforcing a complete blockade on humanitarian aid entering the region. The Israeli government has maintained that its forces will remain in parts of Gaza until the release of 24 hostages believed to be alive.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 50,277 Palestinians have been killed and another 114,095 injured since Israel’s military offensive began in response to Hamas’ deadly terror attacks on October 7, 2023.