Cairo (AP) – Hamas says he has accepted the proposal From an Arab intermediary For a ceasefire 22 Months of War By October 7, 2023, sparks will be scattered, Attack on Israel. Israel has not responded yet, saying it is still committed to defeating extremist groups.
The latest proposals developed by Egypt and Qatar include only minor modifications to the previous proposals that were advanced by the US and accepted by Israel, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on the condition of delicate consultations.
Smoke rises in the sky following Israeli air strikes at Karnnis on the Gaza Strip on Monday, August 18th, 2025 (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)
The deal includes a 60-day ceasefire, with some releases The person that Hamas has Consultations on humanitarian floods and permanent ceasefires in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has I vowed to continue the war Until all hostages were returned and Hamas was disarmed. President Donald Trump supported these goals on Monday in a social media post saying Hamas must “facing and destroying” to ensure the return of the remaining hostages.
Protesters will request the immediate release of Hamas’ hostages and cut off the road during protests calling for the Israeli government to reverse the decision to take over Gaza city, Tel Aviv, Israel, and other parts of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Certain fires, hostage releases, influx of aid
Details of the latest proposal have not been made public, but two Egyptian officials and two Hamas officials have given us a broad overview of the Associated Press.
There will be a 60-day ceasefire, in which Israeli forces are pulled back into a buffer zone that stretches to 800 meters (875 yards), and it will become Gaza. Officials said Trump’s Middle Eastern envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed 1,500 metres (1,640 yards), while Hamas rebutted 600 metres (656 yards). Consultations stagnated last month.
Hamas will release 10 living hostages and remains in stages, including 200 life sentences after being convicted of a deadly attack, in exchange for the release of around 1,700 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages in the attack on October 7th, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The 50 hostages were still in Gaza, and about 20 of them believed Israel was alive.
Israel will allow 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance to enter daily. Slide towards hunger. Israel granted a similar amount of aid during the ceasefire earlier this year.
During the temporary ceasefire, the side negotiates a permanent ceasefire, the release of the remaining hostages and further withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Israeli soldiers stand on top of a tank parked in an area near the Israeli Gaza border seen from southern Israel on Monday, August 18, 2025 (AP Photo/Maya Levin)
Israel promises to destroy Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while temporarily halting the battle to promote the release of hostages, the war would not be over until Hamas is defeated and disarmed.
Still, he says Israel will maintain security controls against Gaza and promote relocation. Many of its population to other countries through what he describes as voluntary immigration. Many Palestinians and the international community view it as forced expulsion.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced Plans to occupy Gaza city and other densely populated areaswhich will likely bring about further waves of casualties and mass displacement. These threats were in part intended to put pressure on Hamas.
Israeli attacks have already killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The ministry does not say how many civilians or combatants are, but says that about half of the women and children have been killed. The vast area of Gaza It was completely destroyed.
The ministry is part of Hamasran government. Operated by medical professionals. The United Nations and many independent experts consider the figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel challenges them, but does not provide their own numbers.
Hamas is badly weakened, but not defeated
Hamas suffered huge losses over almost two years of war.
Most of the top leaders It has been killed, and its rocket supply is very exhausted, and Israel regularly announces the destruction of tunnel complexes and other military infrastructure. Allies in Iran and other regions of Hamas I’m confused After Israel and us attacked.
Israeli forces now control at least 75% of Gaza, and the large population, and the remnants of Hamas’ government and police are primarily limited to Gaza city, have built refugee camps from The 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation A vast tent camp along the coast.
Hostages are Hamas’ final negotiation tip, the only hope that comes out of the war can be portrayed as victory.
The demonstrators will cut off the roads during protests calling for the immediate release of Hamas-held hostages and demand that the Israeli government reverse the decision to take over Gaza city, Israel, Sunday and other parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, August 17th.
The extremist group said it would simply release the remaining prisoners in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal. Hamas says he is willing to hand over his strength to other Palestinians, but will not abandon his arms as much as Israel. Occupy the land the Palestinians want for their future state.
Israel says all arrangements that armed Hamas unharmedly will ultimately allow it to rebuild its forces and launch the attack on October 7th.
The role of the US is extremely important
Israel is nervous about the talks and it is unclear when it will respond. Security cabinets that require such transactions to be approved usually meet on Thursdays.
In the meantime, all eyes will be in Washington.
Trump helped to get the previous ceasefire Crossing the finish line It hit it in January after former President Joe Biden’s administration and Arab intermediaries spent several months. The US then provided full support Israel ended that ceasefire Air and Earth War resumed in March.
Trump alone could be able to persuade Israel to stop the war. And perhaps the remaining hostages.
Ahmed Al Haji is carrying her daughter, Dana Al Haji, 13, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike at Al Aksa Hospital in Deia Al Bala on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
He returns the hostages and says he wants to end the war, but has not put public pressure on Israel. In his true social website’s post Monday, Trump once again appeared to express his full support for Netanyahu’s Endgame.
“We’ll just see the rest of the hostages return when Hamas faces and is destroyed!!! The more this happens, the better your chances of success,” he writes. “Play to win or don’t play at all!”
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Klaus reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press writer Melanie Ridman in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to the report.
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