The proposal from the US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff implies, according to Haaretz and Jerusalem Post, that hostages will be handed over in two rounds within a week. This would mean that 28 of the 58 remaining hostages would be returned to Israel.
In exchange, a 60-day ceasefire is proposed, which, according to Jerusalem Post, means that Israeli military will withdraw from certain recently conquered areas on the Gaza Strip.
Emergency Aid under UN Regime
Furthermore, the distribution of emergency aid will return to the UN regime from the controversial American-Israeli initiative Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), writes the newspaper.
In addition, Israel will release 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life, 1,111 people arrested since the October 7 attack, and 180 Palestinian bodies, writes Haaretz.
After the 60 days, Israel can resume fighting, or alternatively extend the ceasefire if the negotiations bear fruit. Just the question of what happens when the ceasefire ends if no new agreement is reached is, according to Jerusalem Post, the biggest point of contention between Israel and Hamas, which is why that part of the agreement is reportedly vaguely formulated.
According to Haaretz, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the green light to the proposal. However, Netanyahu denies that it affects the framework for the distribution of emergency aid.
The US also confirms that Israel has agreed.
Israel approved the proposal before it was sent to Hamas, says the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Examining the Proposal
Terror-listed Hamas claims that the proposal in its current form will lead to continued "killing and starvation" and not to an "end to the war". But Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau, tells AFP that the movement's leadership is still examining the proposal.
As recently as last week, Hamas sources told several media outlets that the group had accepted an American proposal for a ceasefire.
But the proposal that is now on the table is, according to AFP's sources, revised and no longer includes guarantees from the US that the agreement will lead to negotiations on a permanent end to the war.
