Gaza City: Hamas announced its acceptance of a new ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip, submitted by Egypt and Qatar, with hopes that Israel will not obstruct the plan. Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, confirmed the acceptance in a televised address during Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

According to Anadolu Agency, al-Hayya refrained from providing details about the proposal. However, recent reports from international media suggest that the proposal involves a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, contingent on a period of calm. Al-Hayya emphasized Hamas' commitment to the proposal and expressed concerns that Israel might not uphold its end of the agreement.

The Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli newspaper, reported that Israel has countered with an alternative proposal. This proposal requests the release of 10 captives by Hamas instead of the five originally mentioned in the Egyptian proposal. Sources indicate that Israel aims to finalize a ceasefire agreement before the Jewish Passover holiday in mid-April.

Earlier, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv submitted an alternative proposal, coordinated with Washington, although specifics were not disclosed. The conflict intensified on March 18 when the Israeli army launched an aerial campaign on Gaza, resulting in significant casualties and disrupting a previous ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Since October 2023, the ongoing military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 50,200 Palestinian deaths and more than 114,000 injuries, predominantly affecting women and children. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice concerning its actions in the enclave.