Israelis and Palestinians waited anxiously on Thursday as Hamas deliberated on whether to accept the latest proposal for a 60-day cease-fire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages.
A critical question was whether Hamas has determined that it has sufficient guarantees that the revised plan will eventually lead to a permanent end of the nearly two-year-old war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
Hamas has insisted that any cease-fire plan must pave a path to a complete and lasting cessation of hostilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has insisted on a temporary cease-fire only until Hamas’s military wing and government are dismantled.
“Hamas’s focus is on ending the war,” said Hussam Dajani, a Palestinian political analyst from Gaza.
A reply from Hamas could come between today and tomorrow, according to an Israeli official and an official from a mediating country, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to share sensitive information.
Even if Hamas accepts the latest proposal, both sides would likely still need time to negotiate the details before a cease-fire takes effect.
Here are the main elements of the current proposal, according to an Israeli defense official and a Palestinian close to Hamas, who were briefed on its details. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.
Hostage Releases
The proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages still held in Gaza and the return of 18 hostages’ bodies, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners.
The release of the hostages and the return of the bodies would be staggered over five stages during the 60-day truce.
That differs from what was outlined in a U.S. proposal in May, which called for the release of all captives within a week of the cease-fire beginning.
Withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
Israel would have to pull back troops deployed in Gaza under the proposed deal, according to those briefed on the proposal, who did not provide more details.
It was not immediately clear if that pertained to all forces, or just some. During a cease-fire earlier this year, the Israeli military withdrew from parts of Gaza, but did not leave the territory altogether.
Assurances on permanently ending the war
The proposal states that the United States and the Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt, will ensure that serious negotiations to end the war will take place during the 60-day cease-fire.
On Wednesday, however, Mr. Netanyahu suggested that the war was not on the verge of ending.
“There won’t be Hamas,” he said. “We will free our hostages and we will defeat Hamas.”
No more publicized hostage handovers
Under the proposal, Hamas would refrain from holding televised handover ceremonies like those it staged when releasing hostages during the previous two-month truce that began in January.
The ceremonies — in which Israeli hostages were often made to give speeches thanking their captors — drew international criticism and infuriated Israelis.
Aaron Boxerman and Ronen Bergman contributed reporting to this article.
Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
Natan Odenheimer is a Times reporter in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
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