Israel accepts US proposal for Gaza truce deal

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that his government accepts US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff's proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, state-owned Kan TV news reported.

According to Kan, Netanyahu made the remarks during a meeting with families of hostages who are believed to be deceased.

Netanyahu's office was not immediately ready to comment.

Earlier on Thursday, Hamas said in a statement that it had received the proposal and is studying it.

Quoting a senior Israeli official, Kan reported that the proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in two phases. Israel would release 1,236 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, along with the bodies of 180 Palestinians.

The proposal does not require Israel to commit to ending its 19-month offensive in Gaza, but requires that both Israel and Hamas engage in negotiations on a long-term truce. The United States, Egypt and Qatar will serve as guarantors of the ceasefire deal.

Israel estimated that 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. They were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing Israeli offensive.

Israel ended a previous three-phase ceasefire deal in March, following two months of truce during which Hamas released 33 hostages. Israel declined to proceed with the second phase and resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18.

The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli attacks has topped 54,000 since the start of the offensive in October 2023, according to the latest figure from Gaza's health authorities.