TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country accepted US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s new plan for a Gaza ceasefir...
TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country accepted US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s new plan for a Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages.
"Israel accepts Witkoff's new plan," Netanyahu said at a meeting with families of hostages held in Gaza, according to the Ynet news website.
A senior Israeli official told the website that, contrary to news reports, the proposal made in recent days "does not define a new line of deployment" for Israeli forces in Gaza, nor does it define how humanitarian aid will be distributed during the ceasefire.
The proposal from Witkoff provides for an immediate ceasefire for 60 days and the release of 10 hostages in two phases during the first week, Ynet said earlier on Thursday, citing sources.
According to the news outlet, during the first week of the ceasefire, Hamas must also return to Israel the remains of 18 hostages. In response, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners in accordance with previously approved lists. Additionally, the document provides for a resumption of deliveries of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip via the UN and other international organizations, Ynet said.
The plan envisions that during the 60-day ceasefire, talks will be held on ending war in the enclave. If the sides reach an agreement, the remaining hostages will be released, according to the news webiste. Otherwise, Israel could resume military operations in Gaza. The ceasefire and peace talks could be extended in exchange for the release of additional hostages.
According to the report, Israel received the proposal overnight into May 29. Israel said Hamas continues to hold 58 hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive.
On May 28, Witkoff told reporters in the White House that the US is planning to send "a new term sheet" on a Gaza ceasefire to Israel and Hamas.
On May 25, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel on a settlement of the conflict had hit an impasse. He said that during consultations in Doha, Israel wanted to make a deal only for the release of hostages, while Hamas insisted on ending the hostilities completely.
-News Feed
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