A senior Palestinian official with knowledge of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas has informed the BBC that Qatari and Egyptian mediators have introduced a new plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict.
The proposal suggests a truce lasting five to seven years, during which Israel would withdraw fully from Gaza. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails would be released, and all Israeli hostages would be returned. A formal end to the war would also be part of the agreement.
Hamas is expected to send a high-level delegation, led by the head of its political council, Mohammed Darwish, and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, to Cairo for further discussions.
The previous ceasefire broke down a month ago after Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza, with both sides blaming each other for the collapse.
Israel has not publicly responded to the new proposal from the mediators.
Hamas recently rejected Israel's offer, which called for the disarmament of Hamas in exchange for a six-week truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he would not end the war until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are freed.
However, Hamas has insisted that Israel must commit to ending the conflict before the hostages are released.
The Palestinian official familiar with the talks revealed that Hamas has shown a willingness to hand over control of Gaza to a Palestinian governing body, either the Palestinian Authority (PA) or a newly established administration.
Netanyahu has dismissed the possibility of the PA playing a role in Gaza’s future governance, as Hamas has controlled the territory since 2007.
While it is too soon to determine the outcome, the official described the current mediation efforts as significant, noting that Hamas has displayed "unprecedented flexibility."
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign has resulted in the deaths of 51,240 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo has ordered its staff to relocate with their families to Arish, a city near the Gaza border, after coordinating medical evacuations and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1148 HRS, APR 22, 2025
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