Israel has approached Qatar with a proposal for a week-long ceasefire in Gaza, contingent on the release of approximately 40 hostages held by Hamas in the region, according to a report from Walla, citing two senior Israeli officials and a foreign source familiar with the details of the proposal. The offer marks Israel’s first since the breakdown of the previous hostage deal.

The Israeli officials emphasized that the proposal demonstrates Israel’s commitment to resuming serious negotiations for the hostages’ release, despite Hamas’s resistance. Currently, about 130 Israeli citizens and foreigners, including eight Americans, are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Mossad chief David Barnea met in Warsaw with CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdel-Rahman Al-Thani to discuss a potential new agreement for the release of the hostages, during which Barnea presented the proposal.

According to senior Israeli officials, the group targeted for release includes women, men over 60, and those suffering from life-threatening illnesses or serious injuries requiring urgent medical attention. This new proposal contrasts with the previous one where Israel agreed to a week-long truce in exchange for the release of 80 hostages.

Israel reportedly said that it is also ready to release Palestinian prisoners convicted of more severe attacks than those released in previous deals. Many of these prisoners are elderly or suffer from serious illnesses and could be released on humanitarian grounds.

During the Warsaw meeting, the Qatari Prime Minister relayed Hamas’s condition for resuming hostage release negotiations: the cessation of the war in Gaza. In response, Barnea asserted that for the war to end, Hamas must disarm and surrender its leaders involved in planning the October 7 terrorist attack.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)