A proposed 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would secure the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of 18 bodies currently held in Gaza, with the captives freed in five staged groups throughout the two-month period in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources who spoke with The New York Times.
The Palestinian terror organization confirmed Wednesday it was evaluating the latest ceasefire proposal, The New York Times reported, as diplomatic efforts intensified ahead of a scheduled Washington summit between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump next week.
President Trump revealed Tuesday that Israel had accepted "conditions to finalize" a two-month truce with the terror group that would secure freedom for some captives remaining in Gaza.
The diplomatic push gained traction following America's recent decision to participate alongside Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Trump, who has expressed growing impatience with what he called "this very brutal war" in the Palestinian enclave, indicated his desire to achieve a truce agreement by next week.
Details of the emerging proposal remained murky Wednesday, with both parties requiring additional discussions to hammer out specifics of any temporary halt to fighting.
An Israeli defense source and a Palestinian familiar with Hamas deliberations revealed to The New York Times that the agreement would involve freeing 10 surviving captives and recovering 18 remains currently in Hamas custody, in return for releasing Palestinian prisoners. The sources, who received briefings on the developing agreement, requested anonymity given the delicate nature of the talks.
The captive releases and body recoveries would occur in phases, divided into five groups throughout the two-month period, according to the sources. This represents a shift from America's May framework, which envisioned all captives being freed within a week of the truce beginning.
The terror group would also forgo public handover events similar to those conducted when freeing captives during the January-March truce, the sources indicated. Those ceremonies – where Israeli captives were forced to make remarks expressing gratitude to their captors – sparked widespread international condemnation.
Three Israeli government sources, speaking anonymously about the delicate negotiations, indicated to The New York Times that current diplomatic efforts sought to provide the terror organization with more robust guarantees that a temporary halt could lead to lasting peace.
Despite indications that Israel had moderated its stance, Netanyahu declared in remarks Wednesday his commitment to "fundamentally eliminate" the terror organization.
"I am telling you – there will be no more Hamas," the prime minister stated. "We are not going back to that."
Although Israeli authorities expressed guarded hope about the negotiations' trajectory, questions remained whether the newest approach could resolve persistent obstacles that have repeatedly stymied efforts to conclude the conflict.
