Hamas Agrees to Ceasefire Deal, Israel’s Response Unclear 

Hamas has agreed to the 60-day ceasefire proposal advanced by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel’s response remains unclear, the BBC reported.  

Under the proposed deal, Hamas would free half of its 50 remaining Israeli hostages – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – in two phases during an initial 60-day truce. In return, Israel would free 200 Palestinian convicts, along with an unspecified number of women and minors held in its prisons, Reuters added. 

The proposal also provides for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and pullback by Israeli forces, which currently control 75 percent of Gaza. It would also allow the expansion of humanitarian aid deliveries in the enclave, where about 2 million people are facing famine, according to Sky News. 

Israel had earlier accepted the outline of a similar deal suggested by US envoy Steve Witkoff but discussions stalled over certain details and fell through in July. 

While it’s still unclear whether Israel will accept the new proposal, a response is expected by Friday, the Guardian noted. 

An end to the war still seems unlikely, as significant disagreement persists over the terms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said last week that a deal would only be possible if all the hostages were released at the same time. Israel also wants Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza, conditions the group has so far rejected. 

Netanyahu also announced plans earlier this month to take over Gaza City, which observers think might have pressured mediators from Egypt and Qatar, potentially along with Hamas, to draft an agreement. The Israeli leader appeared in a video saying that Hamas’s move gives him the impression that the organization “is under immense pressure.” 

But Netanyahu is under political pressure too. Some of it comes from his far-right partners, who oppose any truce with Hamas. Rather, some are calling for the annexation of Gaza and for the war to continue until the group is wholly defeated.  

The prime minister is also facing mounting domestic and international pressure, as tens of thousands of Israelis on Sunday staged some of the largest protests since the war, asking for the release of hostages and an end to the nearly two-year-long war. 

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City have started to evacuate the area, now under relentless Israeli bombardment. They are moving toward the western and southern parts of the territory in anticipation that the Israeli cabinet will approve the military’s plan to occupy Gaza City later this week.