Israel is reportedly insisting on the release of all 50 hostages held in Gaza, according to an Israeli official, casting uncertainty on the potential acceptance of a new 60-day ceasefire proposal agreed to by Hamas on Monday.
The official stated that Israel’s position aligns with “the principles set by the cabinet to end the war,” while stopping short of an outright rejection of the plan brokered by Qatar and Egypt.
Qatari officials have indicated that the proposal, which involves the release of approximately half of the hostages, is “almost identical” to a previous U.S. proposal that Israel had reportedly accepted.
Palestinian sources suggest the agreement would entail the handover of 10 living and 18 deceased hostages, while both sides negotiate a permanent ceasefire and the return of the remaining captives.
According to Israeli assessments, only 20 of the 50 hostages are believed to be alive after 22 months of conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the proposal; however, he acknowledged on Monday that Hamas is “under immense pressure.”
Later this week, the Israeli cabinet is expected to review and potentially approve the military’s plan to occupy Gaza City, a move that follows intensifying Israeli strikes and has already displaced thousands of residents.
Netanyahu previously announced Israel’s intention to seize control of all of Gaza – including areas where a majority of its 2.1 million Palestinian residents have sought refuge – after indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas faltered last month.
On Monday evening, Hamas released a statement confirming that the group and other Palestinian factions had approved a ceasefire proposal presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to their delegations in Cairo the previous day.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu stated to Al-Araby TV that the group had not requested any modifications to the proposal, describing it as “a partial deal leading to a comprehensive deal.”
He further emphasized that negotiations aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire would commence on the first day of the agreement’s implementation.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, told reporters in Doha on Tuesday that the proposal was “98%” similar to the plan presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff in June.
“It is within the confines of the Witkoff plan… It’s a continuation of that process. Obviously, it’s in the details where the devil lies,” Ansari said.
The Witkoff proposal outlined a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 deceased hostages on days one and seven. In exchange, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,111 detainees from Gaza, and the remains of 180 Gazans.
While Israel reportedly accepted the Witkoff plan, Hamas rejected it, citing the absence of a guarantee that the temporary ceasefire would transition into a permanent cessation of hostilities.
According to a Palestinian official who spoke with the BBC, the Egyptian and Qatari proposal would involve Hamas releasing eight living hostages on day one, followed by two more on day 50. The remains of five deceased hostages would be handed over on day seven, five more on day 30, and an additional eight on day 60.
In return, Israel would release 1,500 detainees from Gaza, along with 150 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 50 others serving terms exceeding 15 years, the official said.
During the truce, Israeli forces would also withdraw to areas of Gaza located between 800m and 1.2km (0.5-0.75 miles) from the perimeter with Israel, while maintaining a presence in the Morag and Philadelphi military corridors in the south of the territory, the official added.
On Tuesday afternoon, an Egyptian source familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that mediators had not yet received a formal response from Israel to the new proposal.
However, the official in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office told Israeli journalists: “Israel’s policy remains consistent and unchanged. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles set by the cabinet to end the war.”
“We are in the final stage of defeating Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind.”
While the statement does not explicitly reject the proposal, it indicates that Israel may seek further negotiations.
On Saturday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office issued a similar statement asserting that Israel would only “agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go” and that conditions for ending the war included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance.
Netanyahu stated in a video on Monday that he had discussed with senior Israeli military commanders their “plans regarding Gaza City and the completion of our missions.”
“Like you, I hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression – Hamas is under immense pressure,” he added.
The prime minister is also facing pressure from his far-right coalition partners, who advocate for continuing the war until Hamas is defeated and then annexing Gaza.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel must not accept a partial deal “that abandons half of the hostages and that could lead to the suspension of the war in defeat.”
“It is forbidden to surrender and give a lifeline to the enemy,” he added.
Meanwhile, hostages’ families and a majority of the Israeli public are urging Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and secure the release of all hostages.
“About a month ago, we were closer than ever to signing a deal. The Witkoff outline would have put Israel into intensive negotiations,” Einav Zangauker, whose 25-year-old son Matan is believed to be among those still alive in captivity, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
“Netanyahu… is deliberately setting unworkable conditions as an obstacle,” she warned.
The Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of 251 individuals.
According to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 62,064 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
The majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times; it is estimated that over 90% of homes have been damaged or destroyed; the healthcare, water, sanitation, and hygiene systems have collapsed; and UN-backed global food security experts have warned that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” due to food shortages.
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