US proposes 60-day Gaza ceasefire deal: Israel accepts, Hamas has it under review | World News
The United States has proposed a new 60-day ceasefire plan aimed at halting the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a draft of the proposal seen Reuters and confirmed multiple sources. The plan includes the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid into the shut off enclave once Hamas agrees to the deal.Under the proposed plan, Hamas would release 28 Israeli hostages—both alive and deceased—within the first week, while Israel would free 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and hand over the remains of 180 Palestinians. The plan is backed US President Donald Trump and mediators Egypt and Qatar.
A permanent ceasefire, as per the plan, would trigger the release of the remaining 30 hostages held Hamas.
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Hamas says terms fall short
The White House confirmed Thursday that Israel has agreed to the US-backed ceasefire proposal. Prime Miner Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly informed families of hostages that his government had accepted the terms.
However, Hamas has offered a cautious response. While reviewing the draft, the group expressed concerns that the proposal did not meet key demands. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told The Associated Press that the draft “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.”
Naim added that the group would study it “with all national responsibility.”
Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in southern Gaza, as seen from a humanitarian aid dribution center operated the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. (AP Photo)
Another senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters that the proposal’s terms reflect Israel’s position and do not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops, or ensure adequate aid.Story continues below this ad
Disarmament, troop withdrawal, and ceasefire permanence
The plan is the latest in a series of stalled diplomatic efforts mediated the US, Egypt, and Qatar since the last ceasefire collapsed in March after just two months.
Deep divisions pers. Israel inss Hamas must disarm and be dismantled as a military and governing force, and that all 58 hostages still held in Gaza must be returned before the war ends. Hamas, on the other hand, refuses to give up arms and demands full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent end to hostilities.
Hamas has indicated a willingness to renounce political control in Gaza to an independent Palestinian committee to oversee reconstruction efforts, but only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire.
Humanitarian aid
The plan stipulates that aid will begin flowing into Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off. As part of a separate US-backed initiative, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) expanded aid delivery to a third site on Thursday. The foundation has dributed about 1.8 million meals so far, though the operation has been marred chaos and criticism from the United Nations for being insufficient and poorly managed.Story continues below this ad
Experts warn that a nearly three-month Israeli blockade has brought Gaza’s 2 million people to the brink of famine. The World Food Programme and other agencies have called for broader and more consent access to deliver relief.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza that has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Minry.
Much of Gaza now lies in ruins, with about 90% of its population displaced, many living in overcrowded shelters and tent camps.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
