US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has announced to CNN that a ceasefire-hostage agreement for Gaza is currently proposed, offering a potential pathway to ending the conflict, and urged Hamas to accept the terms.
The proposed deal would entail the release of half of the remaining living hostages and the remains of half of those who have died during their captivity, in exchange for a temporary cessation of hostilities. This initial phase would then be followed by substantive negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive agreement to bring an end to the war.
Witkoff declined to specify the duration of the proposed temporary truce, a detail that has been a significant point of contention in ongoing negotiations.
“Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire/hostage deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased return and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to preside over,” Witkoff told CNN on Monday. “That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it.”
He stated that, as of his comments, Hamas had not yet agreed to the proposal.
Witkoff’s remarks to CNN mark the first public indication that he would personally oversee negotiations for a permanent ceasefire following the initial temporary truce. Hamas has consistently sought assurances that Israel would seriously engage in talks to end the war in exchange for agreeing to another temporary ceasefire, particularly after Israel’s perceived reluctance to do so during the previous truce. Witkoff’s commitment to presiding over permanent ceasefire negotiations appears intended to provide Hamas with assurances from Washington regarding Israel’s future engagement in such discussions.
Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that Hamas had agreed to a separate proposal involving the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day truce. However, Witkoff clarified to CNN that this was not his proposed deal. “What I have seen is completely unacceptable,” Witkoff said, referring to the Reuters report.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian official with close knowledge of the negotiations informed CNN that Hamas has, in fact, agreed to Witkoff’s proposal, though no further details regarding the specifics of the agreement were provided. CNN has reached out to the Israeli government for comment on this development.
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