As Gaza peace talks resume, US floats proposal for 28-days ceasefire for 8 hostages' release: Report

The United States has floated a new proposal for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to a report.

The Israeli, US, and Qatari officials met in Doha on Monday (October 28) to hold discussions for the end of the war in Gaza. For more than two months, the talks had been deadlocked, but the negotiators renewed efforts following the killing of Hamas’ hardliner chief Yahya Sinwar.

In the talks on Monday, principal US negotiator, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns, floated a new proposal for a 28-day ceasefire in the lieu of the release of eight hostages held by Hamas, according to Axios.

The proposal involves the release of eight women hostages of any age or men over the age of 50 in lieu of the release of several dozen Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as per the report.

The idea behind a partial deal is to kickstart the stalled talks and lay the foundations for a comprehensive deal for the end of the war and the release for all hostages.

Burns’ proposal comes a day after Egypt floated another proposal of a two-day ceasefire for the release of four hostages.

Back to square one?

Even as the negotiators are talking again, there are signs that fundamental gaps remain.

Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a partial deal at the moment and not one to end the war whereas Hamas seeks a deal for the end of the war.

“Israel agrees to a temporary pause, but Hamas wants a pause that would open a process that would lead to irreversible Israeli steps. If neither sides softens its position there isn’t going to be a deal,” a senior Israeli official told Axios.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he would only agree to a partial deal, not to an end to the war. Those two positions are irreconcilable.

Following the talks, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that the negotiators discussed “a new unified framework that integrates previous proposals and also takes into account the main issues and recent developments in the region”.

“In the coming days, the discussions between the mediators and with Hamas will continue to examine the feasibility of talks and continue to try to promote a deal,” said the PMO.

Separately, Channel 12 has reported that Netanyahu told fellow MPs of the Likud Party that he would agree to the Egyptian proposal for the partial deal but it is not a firm proposal as of now as there is no “definite yes” from Hamas.

In an apparent reference to the demand for the end of the war, Netanyahu further said that Hamas continues to make demands that he cannot agree to, according to the report.

In a sign that Netanyahu wants to keep ramping up the military pressure, the report quoted Netanyahu as saying that the only way Hamas would remove these conditions would be not “because they want to remove them” but because they “simply want room to breathe”.