Steve Witkoff presents a proposal to end the war in Gaza
US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff proposes 60-day Gaza ceasefire with phased hostage releases and renewed aid; talks on ending the war would run during the truce.
Steve Witkoff has presented Israel and Hamas with a modified version of his outline for a partial hostage release-ceasefire deal, a source told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
According to the source, his modified proposal would include the release of 10 living hostages. The hostage release would take place in two rounds.
The first point is the release of 18 deceased hostages alongside the 10living ones. It was not specified when the bodies would be released. This means that in total, the proposal would see the release of 28 out of the remaining 58 hostages still in Gaza.
Additionally, both sides would agree to a 60-day ceasefire. The proposal clarifies that at the end of this period, Israel can resume fighting if it wishes, or extend the ceasefire if meaningful negotiations have been ongoing.
Finally, the IDF would withdraw from recently captured areas in the Gaza Strip, and the distribution of humanitarian aid would return to the United Nations.
Notably, this would replace aid distribution through centers within the Gaza Strip by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is being facilitated by American volunteers.
Israeli officials received the proposal in recent hours but have not yet formally responded. However, early assessments suggest Israel is unlikely to reject it, as it mirrors envoy Witkoff’s earlier plan, which included a one-phase release of 10 hostages.
Sources who spoke with Witkoff said the U.S. is determined to reach a deal even if it involves creative language, with an understanding that Witkoff will pressure Israel to show more flexibility on guarantees for ending the war—a longstanding Hamas demand that led to the rejection of previous proposals.
Behind the scenes, draft negotiations have been taking place between Qatar and the U.S., reportedly without Israel’s direct involvement but with Hamas’ knowledge. According to sources familiar with the talks: It seems Trump is fed up with Israel’s handling of the Gaza war. He wants this resolved.
