Hamas Responds to New Proposal and Agrees to Release an Israeli-American Hostage

15th March 2025

1 minute read

Hamas Responds to New Proposal and Agrees to Release an Israeli-American Hostage

The Hamas movement announced on Friday that it had responded to a proposal from mediators regarding the resumption of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip.

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In a statement, Hamas said it had received a proposal from mediators on Thursday to resume negotiations. The group stated that it had responded to the offer “positively” and had “submitted its reply at dawn today.”

Hamas also confirmed that its response includes approval for the release of an Israeli-American soldier held in captivity, as well as the bodies of four dual-national hostages, as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the parties.

On Thursday, U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Wietkoff presented a new proposal to mediators regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

This new offer updates a previous proposal made by Wietkoff, which Hamas had rejected. The earlier offer stipulated that ten hostages would be released on the first day, with the remaining hostages freed on the last day of the ceasefire.

What do we know about this new proposal?

The new U.S. proposal includes the following elements:

A limited release of several hostages, likely five hostages alive in the coming days.
A 50-day ceasefire.
Resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.
Release of Palestinian prisoners.
A set date for discussing a second phase, which would involve a full cessation of the war.
If a final agreement is reached, the remaining hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The previous proposal did not include any mention of a second phase, which would involve a complete halt to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.