WASHINGTON: Israel has proposed a two-month pause in fighting with Hamas through Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The deal aims to release all hostages in Gaza and would occur in multiple stages, reported the US media.
According to reports, the initial phase involves releasing women, men over 60, and those in critical medical condition. Subsequent stages cover the release of women soldiers, younger civilian men, male soldiers, and the bodies of deceased hostages.
The deal would also include releasing an undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, though not all of them. While it doesn’t promise an end to the war, it entails reducing Israeli troop presence in major Gaza cities and gradually allowing residents to return to the devastated north. The implementation of the deal is expected to take approximately two months.
Qatar, a key player in negotiations for hostage release and fighting pauses in Gaza, contested the reports, emphasizing ongoing negotiations without confirming specific details.
The foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said that leaked information to the media was either incomplete or entirely false.
The reports coincide with the visit of Brett McGurk, the White House’s Middle East coordinator, who is holding meetings in Egypt and Qatar to secure a new hostage exchange deal.
Since October 7 last year, at least 25,490 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
