Israel Offers Ceasefire in Hostage Deal Talks, Axios Reports

Israel has reportedly offered a truce to Hamas, spanning up to two months, as a part of a hostage release agreement, as per a report from Axios. This information, obtained from unnamed Israeli officials, suggests that the deal would be executed in several phases. Initially, it would involve freeing women, men over 60, and those with critical medical conditions from Gaza.

The subsequent stages of the deal would see the release of women soldiers, younger civilian men, male soldiers, and the remains of deceased hostages. Additionally, the plan includes freeing a certain number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody, though not all.

This proposal doesn’t guarantee an end to the war. However, it involves a reduction of Israeli military presence in major Gaza cities and a gradual return of residents to the north of the territory, which has been heavily impacted by the conflict.

The implementation of this deal is expected to take about two months. Israeli news source Ynet, citing anonymous sources, also reported on this proposal, noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned it in a recent meeting with families of the hostages.

This development coincides with reports of the White House’s Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, visiting Egypt and Qatar to discuss a potential new hostage exchange agreement.

During Hamas’s attacks on October 7, approximately 250 hostages were taken, with around 132 reportedly still remaining in Gaza. This includes at least 28 deceased hostages, based on an AFP tally using Israeli data.

The October 7 attacks resulted in roughly 1,140 deaths in Israel, predominantly civilians. In response, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has led to at least 25,295 deaths, with about 70 percent being women, children, and adolescents, according to the health ministry in Gaza.