Israel proposes a two-month ceasefire to Hamas to free hostages from Gaza

Israel has presented Hamas a proposal through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, including max two months’ lull in the fighting as part of one multi-phase agreement which would mean the release of all remaining hostages in Gazaas reported by two Israeli officials named by the media Axios.

The officials explained that Israel’s War Cabinet ten days ago approved the parameters of a new proposed hostage agreement, which “differ in several respects” from previous agreements rejected by Hamas and are “more progressive” than previous Israeli proposals.

While the proposal does not include an agreement to end the war, it is the solution longest armistice period that Israel has offered to Hamas since the start of the war.

It is estimated that more than 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Israeli officials say several dozen hostages were killed on October 7 or in the following weeks.

On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire proposal

Just on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “outrightly” rejected Hamas’ conditions for the release of the hostages still in the Gaza Strip, including the end of hostilities and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave.

The Wall Street Journal exclusively published on Sunday that Qatar and Egypt Israel and Hamas one proposal for a three-phase ceasefirethat would take a few 90 daysto put a final end to the conflict.

The 90-day plan proposed a lasting ceasefire in which Hamas would release all civilian hostages and in return Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw from Gaza’s cities, allow freedom of movement in the enclave, halt the use of drones and double the authorized amount of aid.

In a second phase, Hamas would free the female soldiers and hand over the bodies of prisoners, and Israel would release more prisoners; while in the third phase, Israel would withdraw its troops to the Gaza border and the Islamist group would complete the release of all hostages.

Once this initial plan is completed within 90 days, the Qatar-Egypt proposal contemplates a total cessation of hostilities, the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and a peace process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state, something that Netanyahu denied again“For years, my persistence prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would have posed an existential danger to Israel. As long as I am Prime Minister, I will continue to defend it resolutely,” he said.