Hamas has accepted a new Egyptian proposal to release five hostages, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, in exchange for a renewed ceasefire. The proposal is similar to one presented several weeks ago by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Under the agreement, Hamas expects Israel to return to phase 1 ceasefire conditions, including humanitarian aid and negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire. In a televised address, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya said the group had “positively” engaged with the proposal before agreeing to it.
However, Israel has responded with a counter-proposal, according to an Israeli Prime Minister’s office statement. The office said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted consultations and transferred his counter-proposal to mediators.
The Egyptian offer comes as tensions remain high in Gaza, where at least 50,277 Palestinians have been killed and 114,095 injured since Israel’s military offensive began in October 2023.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/middleeast/hamas-agrees-to-egyptian-ceasefire-proposal-israel-counters/index.html