Posted on 03/29/25
| News Source: JPost
Israel has conveyed its counter-offer to the Gaza deal mediators in full coordination with the US, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Saturday evening, following reports that Hamas agreed to the Egyptian proposal to release five live hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a series of consultations on Friday following the proposal received from the Gaza deal negotiators.
The five hostages would be released in exchange for renewing the ceasefire in Gaza until after Passover and beginning negotiations on a long-term ceasefire, an Israeli official told Walla earlier in the evening.
Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya later said that the Palestinian terrorist group had agreed to a ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from Egypt and Qatar, key mediators in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Reuters reported.
Hamas had previously voiced its approval of the new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza during Eid al-Fitr, which starts on Sunday, to Egyptian officials, who told UK-based Qatari news organization Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Saturday that Hamas had agreed to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and four other hostages.