Explainer | What’s on the table in the latest Gaza ceasefire talks?
- Hamas is studying in a ‘positive spirit’ a proposal for reaching a hostage and ceasefire deal with Israel
- War has raged in Gaza for almost seven months, reducing much of the Palestinian enclave to rubble
Israel and Hamas appear to be seriously negotiating an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of stalemated talks.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week praised Israel for offering what he described as significant concessions and saying “the time is now” for Hamas to seal the deal.
Hamas leaders, meanwhile, say they are reviewing the proposal in a “positive spirit” and sending a team to Egypt in the coming days to continue the talks.
Here’s what’s known so far about the current proposal, confirmed by Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations.
Where the two sides stand
Israeli leaders are weighing whether to accept a deal that would delay or prevent their planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah – a scenario that falls short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledges of “total victory ” and the destruction of Hamas.