Israel has introduced a new ceasefire plan that differs from the one agreed upon in January, and is imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip to force Hamas to accept it. The plan, referred to as the “Witkoff proposal,” requires Hamas to release half of its remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement, which called for the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. However, with no substantive negotiations having taken place, Israel is pushing forward with its new plan.
The existing ceasefire reached in January laid out a three-phase plan to return all the hostages taken by Hamas and end the war triggered by an attack on October 7, 2023. Hamas-led militants killed over 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. More than 100 were released in an earlier ceasefire.
Israel is using this new plan to buy time and avoid passing a budget, which must be done by the end of the month to keep its government from automatically falling. However, opposition parties say they would ensure Netanyahu’s government is not brought down over a deal that returns the rest of the hostages.
The American position on the matter remains unclear, with the Trump administration having publicly endorsed Israel’s war goals, including the eradication of Hamas. A counterproposal by Arab countries suggests relocating Gaza’s population to other countries for tourism, which has been universally rejected by Palestinians and human rights experts.
With no clarity on what will come next, all bets are off if the war resumes. The situation remains tense as Israel and Hamas continue to negotiate a new ceasefire plan that favors Israel.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-witkoff-plan-46a639d66772915ba1ed0b43cd2728d8