As reported by BBC, the Egyptian and Qatari mediators have proposed a new proposal to stop the war in Gaza, according to a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations.
A Full Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza
As per the official, the proposal includes a truce lasting between 5 to 7 years.
During which all Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The deal would also include the official end of the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Palestinian official told BBC that Hamas has expressed its willingness to hand over the administration of Gaza to “any Palestinian entity agreed upon at both the national and regional levels.”
He added that this entity could be either the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank or a newly formed administrative body.
Netanyahu Rejects A Proposal to Stop Gaza War
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any future role for the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza, which has been under Hamas control since 2007.
While it is still too early to assess the chances of success for this proposal.
The source described the current mediation efforts as serious and noted that Hamas has shown “unprecedented flexibility.”
Israel has not yet commented on the mediators’ plan.
Hamas and Israel Will Discuss the Proposal to Stop Gaza War in Cairo
The last ceasefire collapsed over a month ago, when Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza on March 18.
A high-level delegation from Hamas will arrive in Cairo for consultations.
Mohammed Darwish, head of Hamas political bureau, and Khalil al-Hayya, its chief negotiator are leading this delegation.
In addition, media reports indicated that an Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday evening for talks with the mediators in an attempt to make progress in the negotiations.
Hamas Rejects Israel Proposal
The proposal to stop Gaza war comes just days after Hamas rejected Israel’s latest proposal, which included a demand to disarm Hamas in exchange for a six-week truce, allowing Israel to resume the war once the ceasefire ends.
Despite mounting pressure from the families of the hostages, Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he will not end the war until Hamas is eliminated and all captives are returned.
Hamas, on the other hand, insists that Israel must commit to ending the war before any hostage release takes place.
