• Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release plan brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
• The deal follows a U.S.-backed framework and would release half of Israel’s remaining hostages.
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists no agreement is acceptable unless all hostages are freed at once.

TEL AVIV, Israel (TDR) — Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal crafted by Egypt and Qatar, reviving fragile hopes of ending the grinding war in Gaza. The plan, based on a U.S.-mediated framework introduced by envoy Steve Witkoff, would trade the release of hostages for a temporary halt in fighting.

The Two-Stage Framework

According to reports, the arrangement envisions a 60-day truce during which Hamas would free roughly half of the 50 remaining hostages, including an estimated 20 believed to be alive. In exchange, both sides would pursue negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire.

Israel’s government, however, remains divided. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly insisted that only a deal ensuring the immediate release of all captives would be acceptable.

Netanyahu Under Pressure

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In a carefully worded video address released shortly after reports of Hamas’s approval, Netanyahu said the militant group appeared to be “under immense pressure” but stopped short of endorsing the proposal. His cabinet is expected this week to authorize an expanded military campaign to occupy Gaza City, the site of intensifying bombardments and mass civilian flight.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed Israel will widen its offensive until Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is brought under Israeli security control. He insists the enclave must ultimately be governed by an administration unlinked to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Domestic and International Pressure

The prime minister faces enormous strain at home. Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands filled Tel Aviv streets demanding the government cut a deal to bring the hostages home and end the war. Netanyahu in turn accused demonstrators of hardening Hamas’s position.

Hamas, meanwhile, has sought a comprehensive agreement involving Palestinian prisoner releases, an end to Israel’s offensive, and full troop withdrawal from Gaza. The group has rejected demands to disarm absent the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

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The war, triggered by the October 7, 2023 attack in which Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 and abducted 251, has since claimed more than 62,000 lives in Gaza, according to local authorities.

Can regional mediation finally produce a durable end to the Gaza war, or are the sides locked in irreconcilable demands?

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