New ceasefire proposals emerge as Gaza talks resume in Doha

Doubts remain about Israel and Hamas agreeing to the latest plan

Palestinians sit on the rubble of a four-storey home destroyed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza city. AFP

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Negotiations to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza and a hostages-for-prisoners swap continued in Doha on Monday, as more details emerged of the latest proposals presented by mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt.

The talks, the first since August, began in the Qatari capital on Sunday. Sources speaking to The National on Monday said the latest plan includes a temporary truce lasting between 48 and 72 hours to test the goodwill of Hamas and Israel.

That would be followed by a 10-day period in which Hamas provides the names of five hostages it intends to release. In turn, Israel would submit a list of the Palestinian prisoners it is ready to free, according to the sources, who spoke to The National on condition of anonymity.

Also during those 10 days, the two sides and the International Committee of the Red Cross would negotiate the logistics to enact the exchange, said the sources.

The next phase of the plan, they said, would see Hamas freeing the rest of the hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Later, the two sides would exchange the remains of dead hostages kept by Hamas and the Palestinians whose bodies are held by Israel.

In that phase, Israel would withdraw from the Palestinian side of the Rafah land crossing between Egypt and Gaza, the sources said. Running the Palestinian side of the crossing would be handed over to an agency approved but not from the Palestinian Authority, alongside a UN force.

The final stage of the plan provides for Israel's withdrawal from the Salah Al Din, or Philadelphi Corridor, which was captured by Israel along with the Rafah crossing in May, a move that deeply angered Egypt. During this phase, Israel would also be expected to allow displaced Palestinian children and the elderly to return to their homes in northern Gaza after undergoing security screening.

The sources did not give a timetable or say how Israel and Hamas viewed the plan, which partially resembles some of the proposals floated during months of fruitless negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

The plan is supported by most Israeli ministers and the country's security chiefs, Israel's Channel 12 reported. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir do not support the proposals.

However, Hamas sources have told regional media outlets they prefer a “comprehensive” deal that would put a definitive end to the war. The group has long demanded a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave as part of any agreement. It also wants those displaced to be allowed to return home without condition.

“Hamas has also made it clear it still wants written US guarantees that negotiations with Israel will continue until a permanent ceasefire is agreed,” said one of the sources.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeatedly obstructing past efforts to end the war, which was only briefly paused in a temporary truce in November last year. About 100 hostages remain in the enclave, with about 40 of them believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military.

Just hours after the talks on Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi gave some details on the latest proposals for a Gaza ceasefire.

Mr El Sisi said the plan provided for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where a year-long war has created a grave humanitarian crisis and left more than 42,800 dead, and wounded more than 100,000.

“Egypt has in the last few days contributed to efforts to present an initiative that aims to move the situation forward and enact a ceasefire for two days during which four hostages are released in exchange for Palestinian detainees,” Mr El Sisi said on Sunday evening.

“Next is a 10-day period in which measures in the [Gaza] strip are completed en route towards a complete ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian assistance,” he said.