A source from Hamas has informed AFP that the Palestinian militant group has reached an agreement to a new ceasefire proposal mediated by various parties, amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza that has persisted for over 22 months. The source, who requested anonymity, stated that Hamas has formally responded to the mediators, indicating that both Hamas and other factions have accepted the new ceasefire initiative without seeking any amendments.
In conjunction with this development, a Palestinian source close to the negotiations indicated that the mediators are poised to announce the successful agreement, which is expected to include a date for the resumption of further discussions. The mediators have reportedly provided assurances regarding the implementation of the ceasefire, along with a commitment to ongoing negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent resolution to the conflict.
As of now, there has been no immediate communication from the Israeli government reacting to this development. Previous mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have struggled to establish a lasting ceasefire, amid a humanitarian crisis that continues to deepen in the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, a separate Palestinian official disclosed that the mediators had put forward a proposal for an initial 60-day truce, which would include the release of hostages in two phases. A source within the Islamic Jihad faction, which has been actively engaged in combat alongside Hamas, detailed that the plan entails a 60-day ceasefire during which ten Israeli hostages would be released alive along with several deceased bodies.
The same source revealed that the remaining captives are expected to be freed in a subsequent phase, with immediate negotiations set to follow aimed at establishing a more comprehensive agreement for a permanent cessation of hostilities, backed by international guarantees.
In the wake of Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which instigated the ongoing conflict, 251 hostages were taken, with 49 still believed to be held in Gaza. Reports from the Israeli military suggest that 27 of these hostages are deceased. The October attack reportedly resulted in 1,219 fatalities, primarily among civilians, as detailed by an AFP tally based on official statistics. Conversely, Israel’s retaliatory actions have claimed over 62,004 Palestinian lives, the majority of whom are also civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza, which operates under Hamas’s administration and is considered reliable by the United Nations.
