Israel accepted a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza that Israeli officials familiar with the matter said would involve a 60-day pause in fighting and restore United Nations-led aid distribution to the Palestinian territory.
The White House said Thursday that Israel had signed off on the terms of the offer before it was submitted to Hamas, though didn’t give details on its contents. Two Israeli officials confirmed that decision.
Hamas said Friday that the Iran-backed group is “consulting with Palestinian factions” regarding the truce proposal received from Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, through mediators. The brief statement via Telegram didn’t elaborate on the details.
The Israeli officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing the issue, said other terms of the truce include Hamas releasing 10 live hostages and returning the remains of 18 who died in captivity.
Israel has restarted some aid deliveries to Gaza after an 11-week blockade, while seeking to isolate Hamas by cutting it out of the process. Returning to UN-led distribution would reverse a previous decision by the Israeli government to sideline the organization.
Operations by a new nonprofit known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been dogged by some chaotic scenes, including crowds of Palestinians overrunning one aid site on Tuesday. GHF began distributing limited amounts of aid this week and says it’s increasing deliveries.
More than 2.1 million meals have been given out in four days, GHF said Friday.
The US plan includes negotiations during the truce toward a permanent end to almsot 20 months of fighting, which started when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting about 250.
More than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US, European Union and many other countries.
It’s unlikely that the Witkoff proposal will meet the ultimate demands of either side. Hamas, which is committed to destroying Israel, has insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The Israeli government wants the group to disarm and disband.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s leadership, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the latest plan is essentially an Israeli proposal that perpetuates the occupation of Gaza.
Even so, Israeli financial assets have risen this week, suggesting some traders think a ceasefire is closer. The shekel is up 2.3% against the dollar, one of the best performances globally. In addition, Israel’s credit default swaps — a gauge of a country’s risk premium — have dipped since last Friday.
