Amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, Palestinian resistance group Hamas has proposed a new two-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of nine Israeli hostages. The proposal was made on Saturday, May 17, during talks held in Doha, Qatar.
This proposal comes at a time when Israel has launched a renewed large-scale military offensive in northern Gaza. On the same day, the Israeli military announced a major operation named “Operation Gideon’s Chariot,” which is being described as one of the most intense assaults in Gaza in recent months.
According to a Palestinian official who spoke to the BBC, the Hamas proposal includes additional conditions: allowing 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily and enabling the evacuation of the wounded for medical treatment outside the enclave.
Following the proposal, Israel has demanded proof of life and detailed information about the remaining hostages still held by Hamas. Qatar and the United States are mediating the ongoing negotiations in Doha. However, Israel has yet to issue an official response.
Before the talks, Israeli officials made it clear that they would not withdraw their troops from Gaza or commit to ending the war. The Hamas proposal reportedly does not include any provisions regarding an Israeli military withdrawal or a permanent ceasefire.
Since the beginning of the latest offensive, at least 300 people have been killed in Gaza within just a few hours, including hospital patients, residents of refugee camps, and children. Since the truce collapsed on March 18, the total death toll in Gaza has surpassed 3,000.
Residents of Gaza report a severe shortage of essential supplies, including food, water, and medicine. Journalist Ghada Al-Kurd told the BBC that her family is surviving on just one meal a day. She accused Israel of deliberately using food as a weapon of war.
The United Nations and several international aid organizations have expressed deep concern about the risk of famine and rising child mortality in Gaza. Reports indicate that many children are already suffering from extreme malnutrition.
In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have called for a permanent ceasefire. Germany’s foreign ministry warned that Israel’s latest offensive poses a grave humanitarian threat to both Gaza’s civilian population and the hostages.
As tensions remain high, whether Hamas’s proposal can bring temporary relief to the region now depends heavily on Israel’s next move.
