Israel proposes 60-day Gaza ceasefire in exchange for half of living hostages: Media

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of half the living Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Sunday.

KAN, citing unnamed Israeli officials familiar with the negotiations, said the proposal was presented Saturday during talks in Doha, Qatar.

Israel estimates that 58 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons under dire conditions involving torture, starvation and medical neglect which have led to numerous deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups and media.

The offer also reportedly calls for negotiations during the truce over the future of the war, including disarming Palestinian resistance factions and expelling their leaders -- two conditions Israel has repeatedly emphasized, the source said.

Hamas has consistently rejected calls to disarm, saying it will not abandon armed resistance as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian land.

The proposal also includes the potential release of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and around 1,000 inmates with standard prison terms, according to Israel’s Channel 12.

The report added that Israel remains firm in its refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza but is willing to discuss ending the war during the proposed ceasefire window.

Neither Hamas nor Qatari mediators have commented on the reported proposal.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 53,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.