New ceasefire plan offers 60-day pause, 9 living hostages freed

The US-brokered plan would see hostages freed while Israel maintains the option to resume fighting.

By World Israel News Staff

A new proposal for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas would see a pause in the fighting for 60 days in exchange for the release of nine living Israeli captives. It reportedly includes an option for the war to resume at the end of the truce.

Hebrew-language Channel 12 reported the terms of the new truce being floated by U.S Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that would secure the release of captives without the official declaration of an end to the war – which has been a major sticking point for Hamas.

The terror group has so far held firm in its stance that it will release hostages only if Israel commits to a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and announces that the war, which began after the horrific October 7, 2023, massacres, is over.

Israel has maintained that any ceasefire deal should grant Israel the ability to continue fighting Hamas after the expiration of the agreement.

Channel 12 reported that the nine hostages would be freed within a week, although it was unclear if that would happen at the beginning, middle, or end of the ceasefire.

The report did not indicate how many Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchanged for the hostages, but based on previous deals, that number would likely be in the hundreds.

The deal would also include the return of the bodies of 18 deceased hostages. The report did not specify if that would necessitate freeing live Palestinian prisoners.

The proposal asks Israel to commit to negotiating a permanent end to the war during the ceasefire period, as well as an IDF withdrawal from some Gazan territory seized in recent days.

The United Nations would resume responsibility for distributing humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians during the truce period, according to the report.

The Israeli government has not publicly commented on the most recent U.S. ceasefire proposal nor confirmed the validity of the Channel 12 report outlining the terms.