Hamas mulls new proposal for ceasefire and release of hostages as Israel continues Gaza air strikes

Israeli forces carried out air strikes in Gaza on Wednesday as the militant Palestinian group Hamas studied a new proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in the enclave.

Israeli sources said the framework of a proposed deal involved the release of 35 hostages held by militants in Gaza in the first stage of a truce that would last for 35 days.

The Washington Post reported that the ceasefire could be extended, after the release of all civilian captives, to allow for the release of soldiers and the bodies of hostages who have died. An increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza is also under discussion.

Egyptian sources said Qatar, Egypt and Jordan would guarantee that Hamas honours its commitments in any agreement signed, while the US and France act as guarantors of Israeli compliance.

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More than 100 of the hostages taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7th were released during a pause in fighting in November. Israel says more than 130 remain unaccounted for.

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If Hamas agrees to the framework for a ceasefire and further release of hostages, the parties will then attempt to thrash out the details of the agreement, which would include the freeing of some Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The possibility of a permanent ceasefire would also be discussed.

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said on Wednesday he opposed the potential deal with Hamas. “We won’t allow thousands of terrorists to be released [from Israeli prisons],” he said. “I say this directly – a ridiculous deal means the dissolution of the government.”

But opposition leader Yair Lapid said his centrist Yesh Atid party would provide a safety net for the government, agreeing to replace far-right parties in order to promote a hostage deal.

On Day 117 of the Gaza war, Israeli troops conducted raids into northern and central areas of the coastal enclave, killing scores of Hamas fighters, according to the Israeli military. Witnesses said Israel had also stepped up air strikes on Gaza City, in the north, and bombarded parts of Khan Younis, in the south, which continues to be the focus of most of the fighting.

The Israeli push in Khan Younis continued above ground and inside the vast Hamas tunnel network. Israel has confirmed it is pumping water into some of the tunnels as one of its methods to destroy the network.

[ The Irish Times view on funding the UNRWA: support for its vital work must continue ]

Almost 27,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel on October 7th.

The Israeli army has imposed a closed military zone around the Nitzana border crossing between Israel and Gaza after protesters blocked the crossing over the past few days, demanding that no aid go into Gaza until hostages are freed.

The head of the World Health Organisation on Wednesday warned that halting funding to the Unrwa Palestinian refugee agency would entail “catastrophic consequences” for people in Gaza.

“No other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2.2 million people in Gaza urgently need. We appeal for these announcements to be reconsidered,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. – Additional reporting: Reuters