Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage return deal as the Israeli Prime Minister vows to go ahead with the offensive on Gaza City.
The deal - presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediators - involves a 60-day pause in fighting and the release of around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for 150 Palestinian security prisoners.
It is based on a proposal introduced by Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in June. 'The Hamas movement and the Palestinian factions have conveyed their approval on the proposal presented yesterday by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators,' the terror group said in a statement.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemingly dismissed Hamas' response, with his office saying last week that it would only accept a deal if 'all the hostages are released in one go'.
Netanyahu signalled that Israel would instead push ahead with its planned operation to conquer Gaza City - the enclave's most populous region of 740,000 civilians - and transfer its inhabitants to the southern Strip.
But in a video released after Hamas' acceptance of the deal, the Israeli Prime Minister did not directly comment on the proposal - indicating that Jerusalem is still considering its options. 'We can see clearly that Hamas is under immense pressure,' Netanyahu said.
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