ALBAWABA - The Times of Israel reports that while a team from the Palestinian organization gets ready to go to Cairo, Israel has presented a new ceasefire proposal in continuing discussions with Hamas. The most recent proposal seeks to end the impasse in negotiations on prisoner exchanges and bring an end to the fighting in Gaza for the time being.
According to the source, Israel has backed down from its earlier demand that 11 hostages held in Gaza be released, instead suggesting that 8 live prisoners be released within the first two weeks of a planned 45-day ceasefire. Hamas has previously promised to release only five captives.
Egypt has offered a compromise approach to close the remaining gaps and is mediating the resumed attempts. Israel would also return humanitarian assistance to Gaza and move its troops back to areas they occupied before to March 18, when it started its stepped-up military operations across the territory, under the proposed parameters.
The Israeli plan also calls for the release of fewer Palestinian detainees per hostage, including those serving life sentences.
Although the organization has not yet received this revised offer, a Hamas source told Al Jazeera that it is willing to examine any fresh proposal that guarantees a truce, the evacuation of Israeli soldiers, and aid for the Palestinian people.
Israel is under increasing pressure, as captive families protest every day and call for a solution. Over 2,000 academics and hundreds of reservists from the navy, air force, and intelligence services have signed a petition demanding an end to the war and the repatriation of prisoners.
The fresh talks take place while Gaza is still under intense shelling, and the conflict, which is now in its 18th month, has left more than 166,000 Palestinians dead and caused extensive destruction.
