The US special envoy for the Middle East conflict, Steve Witkoff, has announced that a ceasefire agreement for the Gaza hostages is currently on the table.
In a statement to the American media CNN, Witkoff has indicated that Israel is on a path to ending the war, and has urged Hamas to accept this fact. The proposal envisages the release of half of the hostages alive and half of those who have died in exchange for a temporary ceasefire before negotiations begin on a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
" Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire for the hostages that would see the return of half the living and half the dead and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path toward a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to lead, " Witkoff told CNN on Monday.
"This deal is on the table. Hamas must accept it."
Reuters reported on Monday that Hamas had agreed to a proposal that would see the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day ceasefire. Witkoff told CNN that this was not his proposal. Meanwhile, a Palestinian official close to the negotiations also told CNN that Hamas has agreed to Witkoff's proposal, but did not provide additional details about what the deal would entail.
A US official told CNN that Witkoff has not met directly with Hamas.
The proposal comes at a critical point in the war, after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for much of southern Gaza ahead of what its spokesman said would be an "unprecedented assault" on the territory.
The order covers the city of Khan Younis and much of the surrounding area. Israel described the Khan Younis area as a " dangerous fighting zone that has been repeatedly warned of ." The evacuation zone extends as far south as the Gaza-Egypt border, where Israeli forces have occupied the Philadelphia Corridor, a 14-kilometer strip along the border. (A2 Televizion)
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MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
