TEL AVIV - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country has accepted U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff's new plan for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
"Israel accepts Witkoff's new plan," Netanyahu said at a meeting with families of hostages held in Gaza, according to the Ynet news website. A senior Israeli official told the website that, contrary to reports that have emerged in recent days, the proposal "does not define a new line of deployment" for Israeli forces in Gaza or how humanitarian aid will be distributed during the ceasefire. Witkoff's proposal envisages an immediate 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 hostages in two phases during the first week, Ynet reported earlier Thursday, citing its sources.
According to the news server, Hamas must also return the remains of 18 hostages to Israel during the first week of the ceasefire. In response, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners according to previously approved lists. In addition, the document provides for the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip through the UN and other international organizations, Ynet reported. The plan envisages that talks to end the war in the enclave will take place during the 60-day ceasefire. If the parties reach an agreement, the remaining hostages will be released, the news website said. Otherwise, Israel could resume military operations in Gaza. The ceasefire and peace talks could be extended in exchange for the release of more hostages.
According to the report, Israel received the proposal on the night of May 29. Israel said that Hamas continues to hold 58 hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive. On May 28, Witkoff told reporters at the White House that the U.S. planned to send Israel and Hamas a "new deadline" regarding a cease-fire in Gaza. On 25 May, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel to settle the conflict had reached an impasse. He said that during the Doha consultations, Israel only wanted to conclude an agreement on the release of hostages, while Hamas insisted on a complete cessation of hostilities.
TASS/gnews.cz-jav
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