On Monday, Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal presented by international mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, in an effort to bring temporary relief to the ongoing Israel – Palestine conflict in Gaza. The agreement includes the release of remaining hostages held by the group. 

Recent mediation attempts over the past months had failed to produce a ceasefire, as heavy fighting continued across Gaza. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, 20 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Monday alone. 

Hamas responded positively. “Hamas has accepted the new proposal from the mediators. We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war against our people,” said Basem Naim, a Hamas official, via social media. 

Israel has not publicly commented on the proposal. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated that any agreement would need to guarantee the release of all hostages under Israeli terms to officially end the war. 

The new proposal outlines a 60-day initial ceasefire with hostages released in two stages, setting the stage for a broader agreement aimed at permanently ending the conflict. 

This offer comes more than a week after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to take control of Gaza City and nearby refugee camps to defeat Hamas and free hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the current war. These plans have faced significant opposition both domestically and internationally. 

Netanyahu stated Monday that he had “discussed plans for Gaza City with the defense minister and chief of staff to ensure mission success.” He added that Hamas is under extreme pressure but did not address the ceasefire proposal. 

The United States and its interests

The proposal largely follows the framework of an earlier plan by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. A source from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an armed group allied with Hamas in Gaza, confirmed that the plan calls for a 60-day truce during which 10 Israeli hostages will be released alive, along with certain bodies, as part of a phased approach. 

Out of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during the October 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 reportedly deceased, according to Israeli military sources. The remaining hostages would be released in a second phase, followed immediately by negotiations for a broader peace agreement with international guarantees. 

“All factions support the proposal presented by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators,” the source added. 

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his stance, calling for the destruction of Hamas as the ultimate solution to the hostage crisis. On his social media platform, Truth Social, he wrote, “The remaining hostages will only return when Hamas is confronted and destroyed. The sooner this happens, the better the chances of success.” 

On the ground in Gaza, scenes of mourning are widespread. AFP images from Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, showed crowds kneeling beside the bodies of loved ones who died while seeking humanitarian aid on Sunday. 

The situation with other nations

In Cairo, Egypt’s intelligence chief Diaa Rashwan told state media Al-Qahera News that Egypt and Qatar had submitted the proposal to Israel. “The ball is in Israel’s court,” Rashwan said. 

At the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty visited Monday, noting that Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani was also in Egypt to exert maximum pressure on all parties.

Abdelatty emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement due to the dire humanitarian conditions faced by over two million Gaza residents, suffering from severe food shortages according to UN and aid agencies. 

Human rights group Amnesty International accused Israel of conducting a “deliberate campaign of starvation” and systematically destroying Gaza’s health infrastructure, social fabric, and well-being. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims while continuing to restrict humanitarian aid flows. 

The October 2023 Hamas attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians. Israeli military responses have killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, figures considered reliable by the United Nations. 

This new ceasefire acceptance marks a cautious step toward easing tensions in the region, yet the broader Israel – Palestine conflict remains unresolved, with international observers closely monitoring negotiations and humanitarian developments.