Israel has offered Hamas a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the movement that controls the Gaza Strip releasing 136 hostages held there.
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| Photos of Israeli citizens currently held by Hamas are posted on a wall near the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in November 2023. (Source: Bloomberg) |
The above information was published by Axios , according to which, Israel sent a proposal through two mediating countries, Qatar and Egypt.
According to the proposal, the release will take place in stages, with the first stage being the release of hostages who are children, women and men over 60 years old, and those in critical health conditions.
The next phases will include the release of female soldiers and male civilians under 60, followed by male soldiers and the return of the bodies of the dead hostages.
In addition, Israel's proposal also includes the withdrawal of its forces from major residential areas in the Gaza Strip and the gradual return of Palestinians to the northern part of the territory, where they were forced to relocate under Israel's previous demands.
However, Israel will not completely end the current conflict nor release all 6,000 Palestinian prisoners.
However, according to Axios, Israeli officials say they are willing to release a significant number of the aforementioned prisoners.
If implemented, the proposal would significantly scale back Israel’s military operations in Gaza after a two-month pause. According to Israeli officials, the proposal appears to “go further” than what Israel has previously proposed and accepted.
Israeli officials also said that the country is currently waiting for Hamas's response to the new proposal.
Israel's new proposal is similar in content to the terms outlined in previous proposals that Western countries and mediators have urged the two sides to implement since the seven-day ceasefire ended nearly two months ago.
Hamas has always insisted that it will not release any hostages unless Israel completely stops its military operations in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has always rejected Hamas's request.
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