Hamas Accepts Ceasefire Proposal Amid Intensifying Gaza War; Israel Yet to Respond

Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to a new ceasefire proposal without amendments, a senior source told AFP on Monday. The plan, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, includes a 60-day pause in fighting, during which at least 10 living Israeli hostages and several bodies would be released.

Israel has not formally responded to the proposal. Mediators are expected to announce the agreement and outline the next round of truce talks. An Islamic Jihad source said remaining captives would be freed in a second phase, followed by negotiations toward a broader settlement. “All factions are supportive of the Egyptian and Qatari proposal,” the source added.

Just before the announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that hostages would only be freed if Hamas was “confronted and destroyed,” adding: “The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel would only accept a deal ensuring the release of all hostages at once and on Israel’s terms for ending the war. According to the Israel Defense Forces, of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 believed to be dead.

‘Beyond Imagination’: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, visiting the Rafah crossing on Monday, stressed the urgency of a deal as conditions for Gaza’s two million residents deteriorate. UN agencies warn of famine, while Abdelatty described the situation as “beyond imagination.”

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 11 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes on Monday, including six in the south. The Israeli military, however, said it was “not aware” of such casualties.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, accuse Israel of pursuing a “deliberate policy” of starvation and systematically destroying Gaza’s social fabric — allegations Israel rejects.

The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people and led to 251 hostage-takings, has since claimed more than 62,000 Palestinian lives, most of them civilians, women, and children, according to Gaza health authorities.