Qatar and US present updated Gaza ceasefire proposal to Israel, Hamas - War on Gaza
The revised proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire in Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, the release of 10 live captives and the remains of 18 deceased captives, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, and a substantial increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Key changes
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have made progress over the past 10 days of talks in Doha, with the updated proposal incorporating two main changes: Israel's military withdrawal and the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to captives to be released.
According to Axios, Israel has made significant concessions regarding its military presence. While initially insisting on a 5km buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, Israel has now agreed to reduce it to 1.5km.
Additionally, the Israeli army will maintain a 1km perimeter along other parts of Gaza's border. Israeli officials noted that while the revised prisoner release ratio has been adjusted slightly, these changes are unlikely to derail the talks. However, the names of the prisoners to be released still need to be finalised.
Humanitarian aid
A key sticking point in the negotiations has been the delivery of humanitarian aid. Hamas has insisted that aid not be routed through the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Israeli officials say that will be the de facto result of Israel agreeing to withdraw from most parts of southern Gaza where the aid centres are located.
Next steps
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is expected to meet with Hamas leaders in Doha on Saturday to seek their approval of the updated proposal.
Qatar's mediators believe that Israel's concessions on military withdrawal could pave the way for a deal. However, Hamas may have additional reservations, but not so significant that they would be a deal-breaker, one source familiar with the negotiations told Axios.
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