Following US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Qatar, a new outline for an updated hostage-ceasefire proposal is on the table, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
As part of the proposed outline, Hamas would release around five living hostages as well as the bodies of nine dead hostages. In exchange, Israel would allow a 50-day ceasefire, starting from March 1.
During this 50-day period - which would end on April 20 - discussions would be carried out regarding the continuation of the deal.
The source told the Post that they are "optimistic that agreements can be reached" and the "fact that the teams stayed in Qatar is a good sign."
"It means that they are talking and that there is some progress."
Commitment to hostage release
Sources who spoke to Witkoff told Ynet that he is "deeply committed to the hostages, it comes from a spiritual place, from a Jewish place."
The sources added that Witkoff "wants a comprehensive deal, not a partial one; he wants all the hostages home. Trump is talking about it too."
This comes amid reports that US envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, has been removed from a negotiating position with Hamas.
National Unity head Benny Gantz criticized Netanyahu for the proposed outline, saying, "In the first hostage deal, we brought back 10 living hostages per day. In the current framework, it's four per week. Now, discussions are about a deal to return five living hostages per month. The conclusion is simple—either Netanyahu is negotiating, or he's stalling for time.
במתווה החטופים הראשון השבנו 10 חטופים חיים ביום, במתווה הנוכחי 4 בשבוע, ועכשיו דנים על מתווה של השבת 5 חטופים חיים בחודש. המסקנה פשוטה - או שנתניהו עושה מתן ומתן, או שנתניהו מושך זמן.האינטרס של ישראל הוא להשיב את כל החטופים וכמה שיותר מהר.מה שקורה עכשיו הוא שנתניהו מאפשר לחמאס…
— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) March 13, 2025
"Israel’s interest is to bring back all the hostages as quickly as possible. What’s happening now is that Netanyahu is allowing Hamas to recover instead of dismantling it, endangering the hostages instead of securing their return, and prioritizing his coalition over national interests," he concluded.
Hamas's response to new proposal
Spokesman for Hamas, Hazem Qasim, criticized the new ceasefire proposal on Thursday evening.
"The reports about new ceasefire proposals are aimed at bypassing the current agreement," he stated on the terror group's Telegram channel.
"Meetings with mediators in Doha are ongoing," he continued. "We insist on implementing what was agreed upon and proceeding with the second phase [of the previous agreement], fulfilling its commitments, including the pledge not to return to war."
He also "demanded" that Israel "fulfill its commitments to withdraw from Gaza, starting with the withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor."
He further claimed that Israel "has not implemented the humanitarian protocol of the Gaza agreement."
"We do not want to return to war, but if the occupation resumes its aggression, we have no choice but to defend our people," the statement concluded.