Fresh details have surfaced regarding a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, shedding light on the current stage of the ongoing discussions.
As reported by The New York Times, citing both an Israeli defense figure and an individual familiar with Hamas’s stance, the terms under consideration would include the release of 10 surviving hostages along with the return of the remains of 18 individuals. Both sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, confirmed their knowledge of the proposed agreement.
In contrast to a prior U.S. framework introduced in May, which called for the release of all hostages by the end of the first week of a ceasefire, this latest draft sets out a slower timeline. Hostage releases and body transfers would take place in five separate phases stretched out over two months.
The revised plan also introduces a new element barring Hamas from broadcasting the handover of hostages on television. This shift comes after the widely criticized media spectacles that accompanied previous transfers during the temporary truce that began in January.
Three Israeli officials, who also spoke anonymously due to the sensitive diplomatic environment, shared that this renewed proposal seeks to offer Hamas firmer guarantees that a temporary pause in fighting could develop into a full and lasting end to the war.
Reports indicate that Hamas is expected to relay its decision to the international mediators by Friday night.
Should both parties sign off on the proposal, President Donald Trump is expected to formally present the agreement and will also act as “the sponsor and guarantor of the agreement’s implementation.”
Still, a separate individual with knowledge of Hamas’s perspective argued that this plan doesn’t present any major revisions—just a few minor tweaks from the proposal recently put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
{Matzav.com Israel}