Israel is demanding the release of all 50 hostages held in Gaza, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that Hamas agreed to on Monday. The militant group accepted the latest proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, which would see around half the hostages released during the initial phase.
An Israeli official said the country’s stance was “in accordance with the principles set by the cabinet to end the war,” without explicitly rejecting the plan from mediators Qatar and Egypt. The proposal, which would see the release of around 10 living hostages and 18 bodies, is “almost identical” to a US proposal Israel had previously accepted, according to Qatar.
