A Palestinian woman looks at the damage after an Israeli strike on the Yafa school building, a school-turned-shelter, in Gaza City.AFP
Cairo and Doha are still developing the proposal, which would include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire strip and the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to an Egyptian official and a Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
Israel broke a ceasefire with Hamas last month and has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile.
It has sealed off the territory from all imports, including food, and says it will hold parts of it indefinitely.
Hamas has said it will only release the dozens of captives it still holds in return for Palestinian prisoners, a complete Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire, as called for in the now-defunct agreement reached in January. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo late Tuesday to discuss the evolving proposal.
A long-term truce
The Egyptian official said the proposed truce, with international guarantees, would last between five and seven years, and that a committee of politically independent technocrats would govern Gaza — a measure Hamas has accepted.
The Hamas official said the group is open to a long-term truce that includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and international guarantees, naming Russia, China, Turkey or the United Nations Security Council as possible guarantors.
Turkey, a regional heavyweight that has had tense ties with Israel in recent years, recently joined the negotiations, the Egyptian official said.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials. But Israel has ruled out any arrangement that would allow Hamas to preserve its influence in Gaza and rearm. The Trump administration, which has also been involved in the ceasefire talks, has said it fully supports Israel's position.
Israel and the U.S. have pressed Hamas to accept a temporary truce in which it would immediately release several captives in return for vague promises of talks on a more permanent ceasefire. Hamas has rejected those proposals and says it won't disarm as long as Israel occupies Palestinian territory.
The Hamas official said the group does not trust either Netanyahu or the U.S. after they shattered the existing ceasefire agreement, which had facilitated the release of over 30 captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinin prisoners.
Hamas still have 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
The Egyptian official said mediators had the impression that President Donald Trump wants a deal before he visits the region next month. Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to May 16.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 2023.
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