Tel Aviv/Gaza, May 29, 2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the latest US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza, marking a potentially significant breakthrough in efforts to end the war that has raged for more than 19 months. The proposal, brokered by US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, also includes a framework for a hostage-prisoner exchange.
“Israel accepts the new Witkoff outline,” Netanyahu reportedly told families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement from his office cited by local media. The plan now awaits formal responses from Hamas, which on Thursday confirmed it had received the proposal and was “studying it carefully.”
While the full details of the plan have not been made public, sources close to the negotiations—including officials from Hamas and Egypt—have shared key elements:
- A 60-day pause in fighting.
- Hamas to release 10 living hostages and return several bodies during the pause.
- In exchange, Israel to release over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 convicted of deadly attacks.
- Commitments to serious negotiations for a permanent truce.
- Assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities immediately after the hostage release.
- Hundreds of aid trucks to enter Gaza daily to address a humanitarian crisis amid widespread famine fears.
Despite cautious optimism, deep-rooted disagreements could still jeopardize the plan. Hamas is demanding a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli military withdrawal, and unrestricted humanitarian access. Israel, in contrast, continues to favor temporary pauses and reiterates its objective of dismantling Hamas entirely.
Netanyahu has reaffirmed that Israel will retain “security control” over Gaza indefinitely and supports the voluntary emigration of parts of Gaza’s population—a policy widely condemned by Palestinians and much of the international community as a likely violation of international law.
The war, which began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, has since taken a devastating toll:
- At least 54,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- 850 Israeli soldiers have died in the subsequent offensive.
- 90% of Gaza’s population displaced, with many living in tents and makeshift shelters.
The offensive has decimated Gaza’s infrastructure, with the Hamas-run government militarily crippled and much of its senior leadership eliminated.
US Envoy Steve Witkoff remains hopeful, stating earlier this week, “I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution — a temporary ceasefire and a peaceful resolution of that conflict.”
However, Hamas insists it will only release the remaining 58 hostages—believed to include around 20 still alive—in exchange for further prisoner releases and a permanent end to hostilities. The group has also signaled willingness to cede political power in Gaza to an independent Palestinian committee for reconstruction purposes.
Negotiations, mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, continue as international pressure mounts to end one of the region’s deadliest and most protracted conflicts in decades.
