Gaza, August 18, 2025: Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal put forward by international mediators, a senior source from the group told AFP on Monday, raising hopes of an end to nearly two years of devastating war with Israel.
“Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting amendments,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks added that mediators are expected to formally announce the agreement soon and set a date for the resumption of negotiations.
According to the official, the plan includes a 60-day truce during which 10 Israeli hostages would be released alive, along with several bodies, while the remaining captives would be freed in a second phase. Immediate negotiations for a permanent settlement, backed by international guarantees, would follow.
Mediators — including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — have been working for months to secure a breakthrough. Israel has yet to issue an official response.
The war, now in its 23rd month, began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians, and 251 taken hostage. Israel says 49 hostages remain in Gaza, 27 of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s military campaign in response has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, the majority civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry, which the UN deems credible. The conflict has triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the territory’s history.
