UPDATE 2– Israel reviews Hamas' response to Gaza ceasefire proposal

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY FINANCE MINISTER BEZALEL SMOTRICH; ADDS DETAILS; REVISES HEAD, THROUGHOUT

By Khaled Yousef and Mohammad Sio

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) - Israel is reviewing Hamas’ response to a ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, Israeli media reported Monday.

Israeli Channel 12, citing an Israeli diplomatic source, said Hamas accepted the proposal “to prevent Israeli forces from entering Gaza City.”

On Sunday, Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir officially approved a plan to occupy Gaza City amid a push to fully reoccupy the full enclave.

The source said there is no confirmation Israel will accept a partial prisoner exchange or temporary ceasefire in Gaza.

According to the source, Hamas’ response “aligns 98% with a proposal by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that Israel had previously approved.”

A political source told the channel that despite receiving Hamas’ response, Israel’s stance “remains unchanged.”

The source said Israel still insists on the release of all hostages and fulfillment of other conditions it has set to end the war in Gaza, including disarming Hamas.

According to the channel, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer held talks in recent hours with Witkoff about the proposal. Dermer also met with Qatari mediators regarding Hamas’ reply, which the channel said narrowed gaps between the parties.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, citing unnamed sources, said the new Egyptian-Qatari proposal closely resembles Witkoff’s original plan, which called for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and negotiations to end the war.

The sources said negotiations on a partial deal were taking place with the knowledge and approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

- Extremist Israeli officials push back

Extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voiced opposition to a new proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza.

“We fight only to win! Under no circumstances to stop halfway with a partial deal that abandons half the hostages and could lead to ending the war in defeat,” he wrote on US social media company X.

“We must not give in and grant the enemy a lifeline. We must continue to the end, win, and bring back all the hostages in one go,” he added.

Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the extremist head of the Jewish Power party, have both threatened to withdraw from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition if Israel reaches an agreement with Hamas that does not include a full takeover of Gaza and the establishment of a military administration there.

Hamas said early Monday that it accepted a proposal by Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a Gaza ceasefire, without providing details about the proposal’s content.

Egyptian media said the proposal calls for Israeli forces to reposition themselves near the border to facilitate humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

It also includes a temporary halt to military operations for two months, during which a prisoner-hostage exchange would take place, state-run channel Al-Qahera News said, citing Egyptian sources.

The outlet said the deal envisions the release of 10 Israeli hostages alive and the return of 18 bodies, in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.

According to Israeli estimates, around 50 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive, while Israel is holding more than 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons under dire conditions, with rights groups reporting deaths due to torture, hunger and medical neglect.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.