Israel has given Hamas a proposal, through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, that includes up to two months of a pause in the fighting as part of a multi-phase deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza, Axios’ Barak Ravid reported on Monday, citing two Israeli officials.
According to the proposal, the deal would include the release of all remaining hostages who are alive and the return of the bodies of dead hostages in several phases. The first phase would see the release of women, men over the age of 60 years old and hostages who are in critical medical condition, the officials told Ravid.
The next phases would include the release of female soldiers, men under the age of 60 years old who are not soldiers, Israeli male soldiers and the bodies of hostages.
The officials said Israel proposed the overall period of pause for the completion of the release of all hostages in the different phases could reach up to two months.
Under the proposed deal, Israel and Hamas would agree in advance on how many Palestinian Arab prisoners would be released for each Israeli hostage in each category and then separate negotiations on the names of these prisoners would take place, the officials said.
While the proposal doesn't include an agreement to end the war, it is the longest period of ceasefire that Israel has offered Hamas since the start of the war.
Israeli officials said they are waiting for a response from Hamas but stressed they are cautiously optimistic about the ability to make progress in the coming days.
The officials admitted that if the deal is implemented, IDF operations in Gaza would be significantly smaller in scope and intensity after the two-month pause in fighting.
