Israel proposed to Hamas a two month pause in Gaza war through Qatari and Egyptian mediators in exchange of all remaining hostages held in Gaza, news agency Axios reported citing Israeli officials familiar with the developments.
2023 Israel-Hamas War: Full Coverage
The proposal is a part of a multi-phase deal but does not include any agreement to end the war. If agreed upon by both parties, it will be the longest period of ceasefire that Israel has offered Hamas since the start of the war. American officials said that such an agreement is the only path that can lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The war cabinet earlier this month approved the new plan, the news outlet said. The Israeli officials said they are ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the deal will be agreed upon and are awaiting a response from Hamas.
What Does The Deal Entail
The Israeli deal proposed to Hamas calls for the release of all remaining hostages who are alive and the return of the bodies of dead hostages in several phases.
In the first phase, women, men over the age of 60 years old and hostages who are in critical medical condition will be released.
More than 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza and Israeli officials believe a dozen or so hostages died on October 7 or in the following weeks.
In the second phase, female soldiers, men under the age of 60 years old who are not soldiers, Israeli male soldiers and the bodies of hostages will be released.
Israel and Hamas will also discuss how many Palestinian prisoners would be released for each Israeli hostage in each category. Another set of discussions will take place regarding the names of those prisoners.
Israeli officials said the overall period of pause for the completion of the release of all hostages in the different phases could take up to two months.
Next Phase of War
Israel also proposed that it will redeploy Israeli Defense Forces in such a manner that some would be moved out of main population centres in the blockaded coastal enclave to allow citizens to gradually return to Gaza City and northern Gaza as the deal is being implemented.
Israel, however, clarified that they are not ending the war. They, however, admitted that IDF operations in Gaza would be significantly smaller in scope and intensity if the deal is implemented.
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