So Close, So Far: Hamas Offers Truce; Israel Relocation

Hamas proposed a five-to-10-year truce with Israel, offering to lay down its arms and withdraw from ruling Gaza during that period, an offer that is part of intensifying ceasefire negotiations and comes as Israel opens an agency to manage the relocation of Gaza’s Palestinians, NPR reported.

The proposal – according to US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler who spoke on Sunday – marks the first time Hamas has set a specific timeframe for a ceasefire.

The United States would play a role in ensuring that no Hamas tunnels or militant activity would reemerge in the territory, according to Boehler. Neither Hamas nor Israel has commented on the offer, but Boehler expressed optimism that a deal could be finalized within weeks.

Ceasefire talks are set to resume in Qatar this week. Meanwhile, Egypt has proposed a separate two-month ceasefire that would prioritize the release of American hostages. Israeli officials say Hamas currently holds 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 Israelis.

Meanwhile, as negotiations continue, Israel is increasing pressure on Gaza, wrote the broadcaster.

On Sunday, it cut electricity to a desalination plant that provides drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. This follows a broader blockade on food, fuel, and aid supplies, a strategy aimed at forcing Hamas into a ceasefire agreement.

At the same time, Israel’s far-right coalition is moving forward with plans to depopulate Gaza, the Washington Post noted.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the creation of an “Emigration Authority” under the Defense Ministry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The new office will be tasked with coordinating the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and seeking destination countries to accept them.

Smotrich, who visited Washington last week, claimed to have support from Trump administration officials: “Various officials in the (Trump) administration told me again and again, ‘We will not allow 2 million Nazis to live just beyond the fence,’” he said, referring to Palestinians.

Right-wing Israeli lawmakers said the displacement plan is voluntary, citing polls suggesting many Gazans would leave if given the opportunity. However, Arab nations have strongly opposed the proposal and presented an alternative reconstruction plan last week that does not involve the forced relocation of Gaza’s population. They have also ruled out accepting Gaza’s Palestinians in their countries.

The developments come as Netanyahu faces mounting political pressure, with his coalition at risk of collapsing over budget disputes and disagreements on military conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 others taken hostage. Israel’s response has resulted in more than 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza.