Egypt offers new proposal to get Israel-Hamas ceasefire back on track

Officials say Egypt has introduced a new proposal to try and get the Israel-Hamas ceasefire back on track.

Hamas would release five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, in return for Israel allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and a weeks-long pause in the fighting, an Egyptian official said. Israel would also release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

A Hamas official said the group had “responded positively” to the proposal, without elaborating.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media on the closed-door talks.

Israel ended the existing ceasefire last week by launching a surprise wave of airstrikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians. That came after Hamas rejected Israeli-backed proposals to change the agreement in order to free more hostages before talks on a lasting ceasefire, which were supposed to begin in early February.

Hamas has said it will only free the remaining 59 hostages – 24 of whom are believed to be alive – in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.

Associated Press