Qatari and Egyptian mediators have submitted a new ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. A senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations informed the BBC about the terms of the new proposal.
According to the official, the proposed agreement includes a ceasefire lasting between five to seven years. The plan also outlines the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, a formal end to hostilities, and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo for negotiations. The delegation will be led by Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’s political bureau, and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.
The last ceasefire collapsed last month after Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown.
Israel has not yet commented on the latest mediation effort.
This new initiative comes after Hamas recently rejected Israel’s proposal, which offered a six-week ceasefire on the condition that Hamas disarm. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. Hamas, on the other hand, insists it will release hostages only after Israel agrees to end the war.
Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, has reportedly expressed willingness to transfer control of the territory to any “nationally and regionally approved” Palestinian authority, which could include the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority or a newly formed administrative body.
However, Netanyahu has clearly ruled out any future role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza’s administration.
While the success of this new proposal remains uncertain, the Palestinian official described it as a “significant mediation effort,” noting that Hamas has shown “unprecedented flexibility.”
In related developments, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo has instructed its staff—responsible for coordinating medical transfers and humanitarian aid from Gaza to Egypt—to relocate with their families to the border city of Arish.
The Israel-Gaza conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel. In response, Israel initiated a large-scale military operation in Gaza, which has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 51,240 Palestinians, the majority of whom are civilians.