Hamas has submitted a ceasefire proposal, detailing the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
(Baonghean.vn) - Hamas has submitted a ceasefire proposal in Gaza to mediators and the United States. According to the proposal, seen by Reuters, it includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the freedom of Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences.
According to the proposal, Hamas said the first release of Israelis would include women, children, the elderly, and sick hostages in exchange for the release of 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The release of Israeli "female recruits" was also included in the proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on March 14 that the new ceasefire proposal in Gaza, put forward by Hamas to mediators, was still based on "unrealistic demands."
His office said an update on the matter would be presented to the war cabinet and the expanded security cabinet on March 15.
Egypt and Qatar are trying to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas over the “look” of a ceasefire amid a deepening humanitarian crisis that leaves a quarter of the population in the devastated Gaza Strip facing starvation.
Hamas said ceasefire talks have stalled in recent weeks because Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected their demands, including a permanent ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, relocation of displaced people from the south of the territory to the central and northern areas, and unlimited aid.
In February, Hamas received a draft proposal from the Gaza ceasefire talks in Paris, which included a 40-day halt to all military activity and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a 10:1 ratio – the same ratio as the new ceasefire proposal.
Release all detainees.
Israel also rejected the draft proposal, arguing that its long-standing goal was not to end the war until Hamas was defeated. Hamas insisted that the agreement must end the war.
According to the latest proposal, Hamas said a permanent ceasefire date would be agreed upon after the first exchange of hostages and prisoners, as well as a timeframe for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
The force stated that all detainees from both sides would be released in the second phase of the plan.
The conflict erupted from an attack launched by Hamas against towns in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and according to Israeli statistics, 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage.
According to Gaza's health authorities, since then, Israeli air, sea, and land attacks on Gaza have killed more than 31,000 people and injured more than 71,500.
The conflict has spilled over into other already volatile areas of the Middle East. Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have frequently clashed with Israel along the border.
Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq have attacked US forces in the country, and the Iranian-linked Houthi forces in Yemen have attacked shipping lanes on and around the Red Sea to show their solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Late on March 14, Hamas said it had presented mediators with a comprehensive vision of a ceasefire agreement based on halting what it called Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, providing relief and aid, returning displaced Gazans to their homes, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has entered its fifth month, and the United Nations warns that at least 576,000 people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, with increasing global pressure on Israel to facilitate greater access to aid.
