Gaza/Jerusalem, August 20: Hamas has agreed to the latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, a source in the Palestinian militant group told the BBC, though it remains unclear whether Israel will accept the terms.
The plan, based on a framework advanced by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in June, would see Hamas release around half of the 50 remaining hostages, including 20 believed to be alive, in two batches during an initial 60-day truce. The deal also provides for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said last week that Israel would only accept a deal if all hostages were released at once. In a video released after reports of Hamas’s approval, Netanyahu did not address the proposal directly but said: “From them you can get one impression – Hamas is under immense pressure.”
Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said the conflict, now in its 22nd month, had reached a turning point, with operations focused on intensifying strikes against Hamas in Gaza City. Witnesses reported Israeli tanks advancing into the southern Sabra neighbourhood, surrounding schools and a UN-run clinic sheltering hundreds of displaced people.
Thousands of residents have fled Gaza City amid the bombardment, and the Israeli cabinet is expected later this week to approve the army’s plan to occupy the city. Netanyahu has pledged to expand the offensive and take control of all of Gaza, including areas where most of the enclave’s 2.1 million residents have sought refuge, after indirect ceasefire talks collapsed last month.
