Hamas accepts new ceasefire proposal in Gaza

(Patria) - Hamas has accepted a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that was presented to the group today in Cairo, Reuters reports.

Previous efforts by mediators Egypt and Qatar, with the US, have failed to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the war that has caused a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza for over 22 months.

A Palestinian official, speaking anonymously to AFP, said the latest mediator proposal represents an "framework agreement to open negotiations on a permanent ceasefire," with an initial truce of 60 days and the release of hostages in two phases.

A source from Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian armed group that participated in the fighting in Gaza alongside Hamas, told AFP that the plan includes a "60-day ceasefire agreement, during which 10 living Israeli hostages will be released, along with a certain number of bodies".

Out of a total of 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack, which triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 whom the Israeli army claims are dead.

According to the Islamic Jihad source, the remaining hostages would be released in the second phase, immediately followed by negotiations on a broader agreement for a permanent end to the war and aggression with international guarantees.

The source added that all factions support what Egyptian and Qatari mediators have presented.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during a visit to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, stated today that Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had arrived to consolidate their existing joint efforts and apply maximum pressure on both sides to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Speaking about the dire humanitarian conditions for more than two million residents of Gaza, where UN agencies and aid organizations warn of starvation, Abdelatty emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement.