U.S. Proposes 60-Day Ceasefire And Hostage-Prisoner Swap in Gaza; Hamas Says Proposal Fails To Meet Demands
U.S. Proposes 60-Day Ceasefire And Hostage-Prisoner Swap in Gaza; Hamas Says Proposal Fails To Meet Demands
Under the terms of the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 30 Israeli hostages once a permanent ceasefire is secured.
The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and a large-scale hostage-prisoner exchange in Gaza.
A draft of the plan, obtained by Reuters on Friday, laid out detailed terms including the release of 28 Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 Palestinians.
The plan, according to the document, is guaranteed by U.S. President Donald Trump and mediated by Egypt and Qatar, as reported by Reuters.
It also includes the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, to be facilitated through the United Nations, the Red Crescent, and other agreed channels once Hamas agrees to the ceasefire.
On Thursday, the White House announced that Israel had accepted the U.S. proposal.
Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim told the Reuters news agency that the deal “does not meet any of our people’s demands, foremost among them, halting the war”.
“Nonetheless, the movement’s leadership is studying the response to the proposal with full national responsibility,” Naim added.
It was reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the families of hostages held in Gaza that the government had approved the deal presented by President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Wiesenberg.
Witkoff reportedly said on Wednesday that Washington was close to “sending out a new term sheet” regarding a ceasefire between the two sides in the conflict.
Witkoff added, “I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution, of that conflict.”
Under the terms of the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 30 Israeli hostages once a permanent ceasefire is secured.
In return, Israel would halt all military operations as soon as the truce takes effect and begin a phased redeployment of its forces from Gaza.
However, whether the proposal will bring an end to the devastating war remains uncertain.
Hamas said it was reviewing the plan and would respond by Friday or Saturday.
But senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri expressed concerns, stating Thursday that the proposal “echoed Israel’s position” and failed to meet key Palestinian demands such as a full Israeli troop withdrawal, a definitive end to the war, and unrestricted aid access.
The ceasefire proposal marks the latest effort in months of faltering diplomacy aimed at ending the bloodshed that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
That assault left some 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s response, a wide-scale military offensive, has devastated the Gaza Strip.
Gaza health officials report over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the campaign began, with vast swaths of the enclave reduced to rubble.
Despite Israel’s continued insistence that Hamas must disarm and relinquish control of Gaza before any lasting peace can be reached, growing international pressure, particularly from Europe, has pushed for an immediate ceasefire and expanded humanitarian relief.
Hamas has rejected the demand to give up its weapons and says Israel must pull its troops out of Gaza and commit to ending the war.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), endorsed by Israel but criticised by the United Nations and aid organisations, has expanded its operations to a third site in Gaza.
Its efforts have been met with desperation and chaos.
On Tuesday, thousands of Palestinians swarmed food distribution points, overwhelming security and forcing a retreat by private contractors.
The U.N. has warned that nearly two million people in Gaza are at risk of famine due to Israel’s 11-week blockade of aid.
GHF says it has delivered around 1.8 million meals and intends to open additional distribution sites in the coming weeks.
While the U.S. plan offers a potential opening for negotiations and a reprieve from the fighting, the deep mistrust and clashing demands between Israel and Hamas remain formidable barriers to peace.
