Translated with AI
Israeli Hamas hostages are to be released in stages over 60 days under a new US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reports, citing informed sources.
According to them, the deal will entail the release of the 10 surviving hostages and the return of 18 bodies still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The publication's sources clarified that the release of hostages and the return of bodies will be carried out in stages, in five groups over 60 days.
The newspaper recalls that, according to the previous proposal of the United States, all prisoners were to be released by the seventh day of the ceasefire.
The new proposal is aimed at giving Hamas firmer assurances that a temporary truce could pave the way for a permanent end to fighting in the Palestinian enclave, three Israeli officials said.
Earlier, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the Hamas movement declared its readiness to conclude a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, but did not accept US President Donald Trump's proposals on the terms of the truce.
"The movement is ready and serious about reaching an agreement. (…) Hamas is ready to accept any initiative that will definitely lead to a final cessation of hostilities," the agency quotes movement spokesman Taher al-Nunu as saying.
A diplomatic source in Egypt told the AP that a Hamas delegation plans to meet with Egyptian and Qatari officials on Wednesday to discuss a truce proposal.
Trump had previously claimed that Israel had agreed to the terms proposed by the United States for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The American president called on Hamas to accept the offer as soon as possible and warned that otherwise the situation would only get worse.
