Israel said it had received the latest ceasefire proposal from Hamas, and a spokesman officially described it as “workable,” although details were not confirmed.
An Israeli source familiar with the ceasefire talks said Israel was considering the proposal regarding the Gaza Strip.
Hamas confirmed it had responded to the mediators in a statement released Thursday morning.
The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas will gradually release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.
Humanitarian aid will increase and both sides will negotiate a long-term ceasefire.
Israel has confirmed that it is considering a response from Hamas. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Thursday acknowledged receiving a response from Hamas, but did not specify what it would include.
The offer came a day after more than 100 charities and human rights groups said Israel's blockade and military action were leading to starvation among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Experts warn that the Gaza Strip will face famine due to the Israeli blockade and offensive launched in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Gaza's Health Ministry said 48 Palestinians had died of malnutrition in the past month, adding that 59 Palestinians had died of malnutrition since the start of 2025, compared with 50 in 2024 and four in 2023, when Israel launched military action against Hamas.
A man and a woman died of malnutrition at Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Of the 113 people who have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip since 2023, 81 were children, according to the Health Ministry.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff plans to travel to Europe to meet with key Middle East leaders and discuss the latest proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release.
More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians, but more than half of the dead were women and children, according to the ministry.
At least five Palestinians were killed in central Gaza on Wednesday evening, according to the morgue at Aqsa Hospital, where the bodies were taken on Thursday in the city of Deir al-Balah.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
