U.S Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, has presented a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that included the release of 10 hostages, according to Israeli media.
As per the new draft plan, the hostages are to be released in two groups within a week, several outlets reported.
Palestinian extremist group Hamas would also have to hand over the bodies of 18 abductees still held in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The two-month truce was set to facilitate negotiations between Israel and Hamas on an end to the almost 20-month-long conflict which was triggered by the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
If Israel and Hamas manage to come to an agreement, the remaining hostages held in Gaza are due to be released under the latest proposal.
The proposal also stipulates that aid distribution in the Gaza Strip would once again be handled by the UN and international aid organisations.
The Israeli army is to withdraw to the positions it held before the start of the latest offensive in March, according to the proposal.
According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages were still alive in the Gaza Strip.
The fate of three other kidnapped persons is unclear, while the bodies of 35 abductees are believed to be held in the sealed-off coastal area.
Witkoff expressed optimism at the White House on Wednesday about a possible ceasefire in the Gaza war.
He told journalists that he had “very good feelings’’ about a ceasefire and a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict.