Hamas has received a new proposal for a 60-day truce and phased hostage release, a Palestinian official confirmed on Monday, as Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani traveled to Egypt to advance mediation efforts.
Details of the plan remain unclear, including how many hostages would be released in each phase. According to the official, the proposal is intended as a framework to launch negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire. Hamas is expected to consult internally and with other Palestinian factions before issuing a response.
The renewed push comes as Israel prepares to escalate its military offensive in Gaza, including a possible assault on Gaza City. Qatari media reported that Prime Minister Al Thani was headed to El Alamein for talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Hamas representatives. Hamas has reportedly been asked to respond within hours.
Mediators from Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Turkey are involved in the discussions, which follow weeks of stalled negotiations in Doha. According to regional outlets, the new proposal represents a compromise between a limited ceasefire and Israel’s demand for a deal that would end the war entirely and free all hostages.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, speaking at the Rafah border crossing alongside Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, said delegations from Palestine and Qatar were in Egypt working to “intensify efforts to put an end to systematic killing and starvation.” Mustafa announced that the PA is preparing to re-establish administrative control in Gaza through a temporary governing committee.
Israel, however, has voiced opposition to restoring PA authority in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office recently stated that Israel seeks a comprehensive deal that includes the release of all hostages. Yet Israeli media reported that Netanyahu may be open to a phased arrangement under certain conditions, despite his public insistence on an all-or-nothing agreement.
Tensions remain high inside Israel, where hundreds of thousands demonstrated on Sunday demanding a hostage deal and an end to the war. Polls show that a majority of Israelis would support a ceasefire if it ensured the release of captives.
Hamas and allied groups are believed to be holding 50 hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack, including the bodies of at least 28 victims confirmed dead. Around 20 are thought to be alive, while the fate of two others remains uncertain.
The war, now in its 11th month, has left more than 60,000 people in Gaza dead or missing, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The figures cannot be independently verified and do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
