Hamas says it has agreed to a new Gaza ceasefire proposal as mediators from Qatar and Egypt push to renew talks ahead of a major Israeli assault on Gaza City. In a statement, Hamas said it had accepted the new proposal presented on Sunday by Qatar and Egypt. Basem Naim, a senior member of Hamas' political bureau, said on social media, "The movement has accepted the new proposal from the mediators. We pray that God extinguishes the fires of this war on our people." Two Israeli officials told CNN that Israel had received the Hamas response from mediators. One of the Israeli officials said that the government's position had not changed, which includes calling for the release of all the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and Israeli security control of the besieged territory. The proposal marks a renewed effort from mediators to restart negotiations that fell apart in July, extinguishing what had been the best hopes to stop the fighting in months. It also dashed chances of an imminent end to the war, and Israel's security cabinet recently voted to escalate the conflict and occupy Gaza City. The newly approved operation increased pressure on mediators to renew talks and secure a deal in an attempt to avert an even worse humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The new proposal adheres closely to the last ceasefire plan discussed before negotiations fell apart last month. A senior Hamas official told CNN the proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages. The hostages will be released in exchange for 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 60 serving sentences of more than 15 years. Israel will also release all Palestinian minors and female prisoners, the official said. According to a diplomat briefed on the negotiations, Qatari and Egyptian mediators secured a breakthrough that preserves 98% of the last proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff, to which Israel had previously agreed. The mediators put pressure on Hamas to accept the proposal. The proposal entails a ceasefire during which Israeli forces redeploy to the lines specified in the Witkoff proposal, while humanitarian aid flows intensively to meet the basic needs of the population in Gaza. This step opens the way to reaching a comprehensive agreement in the best possible manner without endangering the lives of the hostages through further intense military operations and avoiding a worsening of the humanitarian situation for the people of Gaza, who are already suffering greatly, the diplomat said. It also marks the beginning of the road to a comprehensive solution, the diplomat added. A regional source involved in the Gaza talks told CNN that Hamas "insists" on "written American guarantees" for a ceasefire "after 60 days." Hamas wants the US to ensure that Israel does not return to war, the source told CNN. The most recent ceasefire negotiations, which fell apart in July, focused on a 60-day ceasefire and the release of approximately half of the remaining 50 hostages. A second diplomat involved in the negotiations said, "Given the developments, Egypt and Qatar will extend an invitation to Steve Witkoff to come to Cairo." Qatari Prime Minister and minister of foreign affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani arrived in Egypt for discussions about ceasefire negotiations, Egyptian officials said Monday. Qatari officials met with Witkoff last weekend in Spain. Prior to talks collapsing in July, the most difficult issues in the negotiations included the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the hostages, the size of the Israeli buffer zone around Gaza, and the scope of the Israeli withdrawal during the ceasefire. Hamas also demanded a comprehensive end to the war, which Israel has refused. The US and Israel indicated they would harden their positions, only accepting a comprehensive deal instead of a partial agreement, when the last round of negotiations failed. On Monday, US President Donald Trump said on social media, "We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday evening, "Like you, I hear the reports in the media – and from them, one thing is clear: Hamas is under immense pressure." He did not say whether he would consider a new proposal after insisting that Israel would only agree to a comprehensive deal that achieved his maximalist positions. He has said that any agreement needs to include the disarmament of Hamas, which has been a red line for the militant organization. This fresh proposal comes after hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv and across the country on Sunday, demanding that Israel agree to a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages and end the war. In a series of events that lasted all day, protesters blocked major intersections across the country, carried out a grassroots strike, and held a massive rally in Hostages Square. Netanyahu's far-right allies, who have demanded an escalation of the war, warned the Israeli premier about accepting a ceasefire deal. Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a recorded video: "Mr. Prime Minister, I'll make this short and simple: you do not have a mandate to go for a partial deal. The blood of our soldiers is not to be disregarded. We must go all the way — to destroy Hamas." Ben Gvir quit the government over the last ceasefire in January before rejoining when Israel resumed the war two months later. But opposition politicians immediately threw their weight behind Netanyahu and behind the latest ceasefire effort. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who chairs the Blue and White Party, said in a statement, "The government has a clear majority and a broad safety net to bring the hostages home. Netanyahu, this is not a time to hesitate — this is a time to make the right decisions for the people of Israel and the security of Israel." There have been two ceasefires and hostage-release deals in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks. In November 2023, a weeklong ceasefire saw 105 hostages freed from Gaza and around 240 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons before it collapsed. A second ceasefire was not struck until January 2025. In just over 8 weeks – the first "phase" of the ceasefire – Hamas freed 33 hostages, with Israel releasing around 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli freed. Under the planned second stage, Israel was supposed to agree to a permanent ceasefire. But Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, shattering the truce and derailing the talks, saying it did so to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. — CNN
