Hamas has reportedly accepted a new ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a Palestinian official who spoke to Reuters on Monday. The official said the plan includes a 70-day truce, the release of 10 Israeli hostages in two phases, partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving long sentences.
The proposal, said to have been delivered via mediators, was attributed to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. However, Witkoff later denied authorship, calling Hamas’s statement “disappointing and completely unacceptable,” as reported by the New York Post.
Israeli officials also rejected the plan, stating it was not from Washington and could not be accepted by any Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that Israel would only accept a temporary truce in exchange for hostages and would continue the war until Hamas is dismantled.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israel’s military operations have killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, including over 16,000 children and 8,000 women, according to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. A separate estimate published in The Lancet in early 2025 suggests that indirect deaths caused by the collapse of infrastructure may raise the toll to over 70,000.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that Gaza’s healthcare system is near total collapse, with only 17 out of 36 hospitals partially functioning. More than 12,00 healthcare workers have been killed during the conflict. Attacks on medical facilities have been widespread and documented, including airstrikes on hospitals and ambulances.
Ongoing Israeli blockade measures have severely limited access to food, water, fuel, and medical aid. According to the World Food Programme, 97% of Gaza’s population suffers from inadequate food consumption. Oxfam reports that Gaza’s water supply has dropped to just 17% of its pre-conflict levels. Mental health among children is in critical condition as well, with Save the Children reporting that over 80% of children in Gaza show signs of severe psychological trauma.
