 "A drone view shows displaced Palestinians sheltering in tents set up near the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City on February 17, 2025. Reuters File")
Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza and signalled readiness to resume talks, according to officials briefed on the mediation by Egypt and Qatar. The group told intermediaries it agreed to the plan without seeking changes. Israel has not issued a formal response.
The initiative comes amid mounting international concern over an expanded Israeli campaign in and around Gaza City and a deepening humanitarian crisis. The plan under discussion centres on a truce and phased hostage releases, with further negotiations over a longer-term settlement.
Inside the proposal
An Islamic Jihad source, aligned with Hamas, said the draft envisages a 60-day ceasefire. In the first phase, 10 Israeli hostages would be freed alive along with a number of bodies, with remaining captives to be released in a second phase as talks continue. Recent tallies suggest 49 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 27 the Israeli military assesses to be dead.
There was no immediate public reply from the Israeli government on Monday (August 18). The latest proposal follows Israel’s security cabinet approval of plans to expand operations in Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, a step that has drawn criticism abroad and stirred debate at home.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar, backed by the US, have pressed for a durable arrangement that could anchor further talks. As diplomacy intensified, President Donald Trump wrote that hostages would return “when Hamas is confronted and destroyed”.
Egypt has indicated it is willing to take part in an international force for Gaza if any deployment is backed by a UN Security Council resolution and tied to a political horizon. Mediators are expected to seek swift technical talks on sequencing any truce, hostage exchanges and humanitarian access. Whether Israel signs on will determine if the latest opening becomes a breakthrough.
A dire humanitarian situation
Nearly two years of war have left Gaza in ruins. The Palestinian health ministry says the death toll has passed 62,000, with aid agencies warning of famine and disease.
On Monday, Amnesty International accused Israel of pursuing a deliberate policy of starvation. Israel rejects that characterisation and says it does not target civilians.
With inputs from agencies