Hamas Agrees To Ceasefire-Hostage Release Deal With Israel
The 'comprehensive two-stage plan' was based on a framework advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff and presented to Hamas by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, according to the BBC.
It would see Hamas free around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – in two stages during a 60-day temporary truce.
During that time, there would be negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli troop withdrawal.
The Egyptian and Qatari mediators reportedly met with Hamas representatives Sunday in Cairo, and presented them with the plan.
In a post on Facebook Monday, Hamas leader Basem Naim said Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups had agreed to the deal:
'The movement has submitted its response 💚 approving the new mediators' proposal,' Naim wrote in Arabic.
'We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war against our people.'
The deal was reached ahead of a major Israeli offensive to occupy Gaza City and just hours after President Donald Trump said Hamas needed to be 'confronted and destroyed,' Axios noted.
'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!,' Trump posted on Truth Social Monday morning.
'The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be. Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran's Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don't play at all!'
The plan is reportedly '98 percent similar' to the last U.S.-backed proposal, but the deal fell though when Hamas refused to sign on.
Hamas said at the time that it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agreed to end the 22-month war. But Netanyahu said that would only happen once Hamas was disarmed and released all the hostages.
On Sunday, more than 200,000 Israelis took to the streets to demand Netanyahu not launch the new offensive in Gaza, and instead sign a deal to bring back the hostages. It was the biggest anti-war protest since the beginning of the war, according to Axios.
The Gaza War began in response to Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
The terrorists killed about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—in the attack, and took another 251 hostage.
Also read: Hamas Warns Israel It Is 'Sacrificing' Captives With Plans To Occupy Gaza City
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
12 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer
A senior Israeli official yesterday said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal. Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan, a day after Hamas signalled its readiness for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting that it was 'almost identical' to an earlier version agreed to by Israel. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told AFP the government's stance had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal. The two foes have held onand-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire. Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Egypt said Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding 'the ball is now in its court'. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that Hamas had given a 'very positive response, and it truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to'. 'We cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made. But we do believe it is a positive point,' he added. Mounting pressure According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera News, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept 'an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war'. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had 'opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past'. Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for the end of the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still being held captive.
Gulf Insider
19 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
Putin Pressures Israel To Transfer Sprawling Christian Site
An ancient Christian area inside the walled Jerusalem Old City is at the center of diplomatic tensions between Russia and Israel, and President Putin is now openly requesting that the Netanyahu government hand over owndership to Russia. The Alexander Courtyard is a 1,300-square-meter located near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter, and is currently front and center of the intense ownership dispute. In the packed and densely populated Old City, land of this size is huge and very significant, considering every little meter of property has been hotly fought over for many decades. The site, also often called simply the Russian Compound, includes the Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky – named after a 13th-century Russian warrior-prince, and has been at the heart of a long-running legal and diplomatic conflict between Israel and Russia. The matter was reportedly raised directly during recent discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which led to the PM appointing a special committee of senior Israeli ministers in order to handle the sensitive matter Officials throughout the drawn-out saga have pointed out that President Putin views the issue as deeply personal, not just political. Ynet News has reviewed that the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (OPS) has maintained de facto control over the Alexander Courtyard since its establishment in 1890. Historical Ottoman documents list it as belonging to 'the glorious Russian Empire' – though the OPS had also made formal purchase of the property. But the Russian government has used this Ottomoman historic reference to argue that the land should now fall under Russian state ownership rather than OPS. The OPS is a scholarly and charitable organization and insists that it is the sole owner, with both sides are appealing to the Israeli government to uphold and recognize their respective rights and claims. Putin's invervention has continued going back at least a half-decade. Adding to the complexity of the legal matter, in 2020 Netanyahu designated the Alexander Courtyard a 'holy site' under British Mandate-era law. In Israeli law this gives the government greater ability to decide on the matter, but the pressure from Moscow has ramped up in the meantime. Also read: Trump Pushing For Summit With Putin & Zelensky Next Friday
Gulf Insider
20 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
Hamas Agrees To Ceasefire-Hostage Release Deal With Israel
Hamas has agreed to a new proposal for a ceasefire-hostage release deal with Israel. The 'comprehensive two-stage plan' was based on a framework advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff and presented to Hamas by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, according to the BBC. It would see Hamas free around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – in two stages during a 60-day temporary truce. During that time, there would be negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli troop withdrawal. The Egyptian and Qatari mediators reportedly met with Hamas representatives Sunday in Cairo, and presented them with the plan. In a post on Facebook Monday, Hamas leader Basem Naim said Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups had agreed to the deal: 'The movement has submitted its response 💚 approving the new mediators' proposal,' Naim wrote in Arabic. 'We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war against our people.' The deal was reached ahead of a major Israeli offensive to occupy Gaza City and just hours after President Donald Trump said Hamas needed to be 'confronted and destroyed,' Axios noted. 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!,' Trump posted on Truth Social Monday morning. 'The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be. Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran's Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don't play at all!' The plan is reportedly '98 percent similar' to the last U.S.-backed proposal, but the deal fell though when Hamas refused to sign on. Hamas said at the time that it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agreed to end the 22-month war. But Netanyahu said that would only happen once Hamas was disarmed and released all the hostages. On Sunday, more than 200,000 Israelis took to the streets to demand Netanyahu not launch the new offensive in Gaza, and instead sign a deal to bring back the hostages. It was the biggest anti-war protest since the beginning of the war, according to Axios. The Gaza War began in response to Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. The terrorists killed about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—in the attack, and took another 251 hostage. Also read: Hamas Warns Israel It Is 'Sacrificing' Captives With Plans To Occupy Gaza City
