In a document obtained by Reuters and confirmed with sources, Hamas is said to have proposed a 135-day ceasefire, in which all hostages would be released, Israel would withdraw from the Gaza Strip and the two sides would negotiate an end to the war.
The proposal comes in response to a proposal sent by Qatari and Egyptian mediators last week.
(Illustration)
A source close to the talks said Hamas' proposal did not call for a permanent ceasefire from the start, but that an end to the war would have to be agreed during the truce, before the final hostage was released.
A second source said Hamas still wanted guarantees from Qatar, Egypt and other countries that the ceasefire would hold and not collapse once the hostages were freed.
Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas ' political bureau, confirmed the offer had been passed through Egypt and Qatar to Israel and the United States.
“We want to resolve this issue in a positive spirit, to stop the aggression against the Palestinian people and to ensure a full and lasting ceasefire, as well as the necessary conditions for relief, aid, shelter and reconstruction,” he told Reuters.
According to the document, during the first 45 days, all female Israeli hostages, men under 19, the elderly and the sick will be released in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Israel will withdraw its troops from populated areas.
Implementation of the second phase will not begin until the parties conclude “indirect negotiations on the conditions for ending joint military activities and returning to a state of complete calm .”
The second phase would include the release of the remaining male hostages and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Bodies and remains would be exchanged in the third phase.
Israeli media earlier quoted a senior official as saying that some of Hamas' demands were not accepted by Israel. Israel has said it will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is destroyed.
Meanwhile, some unnamed officials said the Israeli government would debate whether to reject Hamas' proposals outright or offer alternative conditions.
Phuong Anh (Source: The Guardian)
Source
Comment (0)