Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly discussed a draft proposal for a truce in Gaza with Egyptian officials on Thursday, while Palestinian NGOs warned that the besieged and devastated enclave has entered a state of famine.
The draft document reportedly aims at bridging a compromise between an Egyptian proposal presented in March, as well as a proposal from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The proposal exchange took place between negotiating teams and heads of security services, Israeli media said.
According to Channel 12, the Egyptian proposal entails the release of eight living Israeli captives as well as eight dead ones, in exchange for a 40 to 70-day long truce. The proposed truce would also see the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners currently in Israeli jails – many of them held without charge or trial.
The proposal, according to Channel 12, would also include moving towards discussions on phase two of the ceasefire.
Senior Israeli officials told public broadcaster Kan that a deal "is possible to be reached soon", likely within the next two weeks. Hamas, however, has yet to comment on these negotiations.
Witkoff’s proposal suggests a two-month long ceasefire and the release of five hostages, as well as an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees.
During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, US President Donald Trump also said that he is "getting closer" to securing a deal in the war-battered Gaza Strip, where over 50,600 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.
Israel effectively ended phase one of the ceasefire in Gaza on 19 March after it renewed its attacks on the territory, which have killed dozens of Palestinians on a daily basis. It has seized around 25 percent of Gaza’s land and has threatened to occupy swathes more.
Trump said he was dealing with with both Israel and Hamas, after he had spoken with previously-released captives.
Witkoff also added: "A real serious deal is on the table and it’s a matter of a few days".
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas – mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt and ongoing for the past four weeks – have yet to yield any results, while dozens of civilians are being killed daily by Israeli airstrikes.
State of famine
In Gaza, the Israeli-imposed siege has effectively caused a state of famine, Palestinians NGOs have warned, saying that food, fuel and medicine supplies have run out.
The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network (PNGOs) have appealed for international help, in a bid to alleviate the suffering in the territory, in a statement sent to the Turkish Anadolu news agency.
The group said: "Gaza has now entered an advanced stage of famine after the vast majority of food, medical aid, fuel, and hygiene supplies have been depleted, while bakeries and many community kitchens have ceased operations."
The network urged the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations to declare the Gaza Strip a famine zone and for all parties to assume their responsibilities towards what they called an "unprecedented disaster".
The Gaza Strip has been besieged by Israel since 2 March, when it barred the entry of all humanitarian aid, causing the shutdown of essential facilities such as bakeries.
On Thursday, the Israeli Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition filed by the families of Israeli captives requesting the restoration of electricity supply to the Strip.
Judge Alex Stein said Israel was "under no obligation to provide electricity to Gaza," adding that the issue was not subject to a judicial review.
The move was further justified by Israeli energy minister Eli Cohen, who said cutting off electricity to Gaza was a "right decision from a security and moral perspective".
Israel cut off electricity supplies to Gaza in early March, as part of its total siege on the Palestinian enclave.
Hamas labelled the move as "blackmail," a term it had also used after Israel stopped humanitarian assistance from entering the enclave.