Hamas Proposes Ceasefire Over 135 Days, Ending Israel’s Gaza War

(CTN News) – Hamas proposed a ceasefire plan that would quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would be freed, Israel would withdraw its troops, and an agreement on ending the war would be reached.

Following a last-week offer by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the militant group’s proposal came amid the biggest diplomatic effort yet to end the fighting, and was welcomed in Gaza.

Israel has said it will not withdraw its troops from Gaza until Hamas is eliminated.
In a draft document seen by Reuters, Hamas proposes three phases of a truce, each lasting 45 days. Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged for the remaining Israeli hostages they captured on October 7. Reconstruction of Gaza would begin, Israeli forces would withdraw completely, and bodies and remains would be exchanged.

As part of the most serious diplomatic push of the war so far, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived overnight in Israel to meet with the leaders of mediators Qatar and Egypt.

In the Hamas counterproposal, a permanent ceasefire was not required at the beginning, but would have to be agreed during the truce before the final hostages were released.

In exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails, the document states that Israeli women hostages, males under 19 and the elderly and sick will be released during the first 45-day phase. During the first phase, Israeli troops would also withdraw from populated areas.

In order to implement the second phase, the sides must conclude “indirect talks about what is needed to end the mutual military operations and return to complete calm.”

During the second phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from all areas of the Gaza Strip outside the Gaza Strip’s borders.

Third-phase exchanges will involve bodies and remains. Gaza’s desperate civilians would also benefit from the truce, which would increase food and other aid deliveries.

Despite optimism, Yamen Hamad, a father of four living in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, prays that this hope turns into a real agreement to end the war.

“People in the area are waiting for news of a ceasefire, they are a bit hopeful despite the continued bombardment,” he told Reuters via a messaging app.

Following the murder of 1,200 people in southern Israel by militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza on October 7, Israel began its military offensive in Gaza. At least 27,585 Palestinians have been confirmed dead in Israel’s military campaign, with thousands more feared buried under rubble.

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