Hamas is reviewing new proposals for a temporary 60-day ceasefire in Gaza as the group reaffirmed its position that any agreement must ultimately lead to a complete end to Israel's war on the Strip.
In a statement on Wednesday, the group confirmed it had received the latest proposal from mediators and was engaged in ongoing talks aimed at bridging remaining gaps.
US President Donald Trump said Israel had already agreed to the proposal. Two diplomats quoted by Israeli outlets said the deal would include the release of eight living Israeli captives on the first day of the truce, followed by two more on day 50.
The proposal reportedly also outlines the return of the remains of 18 captives in three batches. In exchange, the Israeli army would withdraw from the Morag axis, a contested area between Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Israel’s Channel 10 reported that negotiations have seen significant progress but sticking points remain, particularly over the extent of the Israeli army’s withdrawal and the terms for a full cessation of hostilities.
While Hamas continues to demand a permanent ceasefire and full military withdrawal, Israeli officials have indicated they would only agree to a temporary halt.
Channel 12 noted that the Israeli government may survive a partial deal, but far-right ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, are strongly opposed to any agreement that ends the war entirely. Ben-Gvir has reportedly urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in resisting the proposal.
Israeli media also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to ask Trump to pressure Qatar into threatening Hamas leaders based there with expulsion if they reject the truce.
'26 massacres’
The ceasefire discussions come as the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to mount. Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Thursday that Israeli forces had carried out 26 massacres over a 48-hour period.
According to local reports, the daily death toll in Gaza has climbed to nearly 100 in recent weeks. On Thursday morning alone, at least 60 Palestinians were killed, including 29 aid workers, according to medical sources.
Among the latest attacks was an Israeli airstrike on the Mustafa Hafez school in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced families. At least 10 people, mostly children, were killed.
The director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, Dr. Marwan Sultan, was also killed when an Israeli missile struck his home. The Palestinian Health Ministry said several members of his family died in the attack as well.
Sultan’s daughter, Lubna al-Sultan, told the Associated Press that the strike hit his room directly.
"All the rooms in the house were intact except for his room, which was hit by the missile. My father was martyred in it," she said. "He was not affiliated with any group. He only cared about the patients he treated throughout the war."
The Health Ministry described Dr. Sultan as "a symbol of dedication, steadfastness, and sincerity during the most difficult circumstances". His death prompted widespread mourning and calls for accountability.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it "regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals" and "operates to mitigate harm to them as much as possible".
Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned that Gaza has officially run out of fuel.
Its Secretary-General, Jan Egeland, said on X: "This is no longer a logistical issue, it is life or death."
He added that water trucking by the NRC has halved, now reaching 85,000 people with only 4.5 litres per person per day, well below the 15-litre survival standard.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed, according to the latest figures. Human rights organisations including Amnesty International have described the campaign as genocide.