Israel has proposed a new ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip through two mediating countries, Egypt and Qatar. The proposal has already been delivered to Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, according to a report by Egypt’s state-run TV channel Al Qahera News.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Zuhri confirmed that the group has received the proposal and is currently reviewing it. He said Hamas’s high command will announce their decision “as soon as possible.” However, it remains uncertain how the group will respond, as Israel has, for the first time, demanded the complete disarmament of Hamas. Israel stated that it would only begin further discussions on a ceasefire if Hamas agrees to this condition.
Speaking to Reuters, Abu Zuhri said, “There are at least a million red lines associated with the issue of disarmament.” He reiterated that Hamas will announce its decision soon after internal discussions.
Earlier, Hamas had presented its own proposal, stating that it would release all Israeli hostages in Gaza if Israel agreed to withdraw all its troops from the region. However, citing security concerns, Israel refused to withdraw, resulting in no hostage releases.
Despite this, mediators are hopeful. An Egyptian government official told Reuters, “Hamas now understands how critical time is, and I believe they will respond soon.”
The current conflict dates back to 2023 when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack inside Israeli territory, killing 1,200 people and taking 242 hostages. In response, Israel launched a full-scale military operation in Gaza, which continued for 15 months. On January 19, Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire, but disagreements over troop withdrawal and hostage release led Israel to resume operations on March 18.
As of now, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, with 56% of them being women and children.
