Jerusalem — Tictac News
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Tictac News that a ceasefire-hostage deal is currently on the table, offering a potential path to end the war in Gaza, and he urged Hamas to accept the agreement.
The proposal would see the release of half of the living hostages and half of the deceased, in return for a temporary ceasefire, followed by negotiations for a comprehensive resolution to the conflict.
Witkoff declined to disclose the proposed length of the ceasefire, a detail that remains one of the central points of contention in the talks.
“Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire/hostage deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased return and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to preside over,” Witkoff said on Monday. “That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it.”
According to Witkoff, Hamas has not yet accepted the proposal.
Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that Hamas had agreed to a different plan involving the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day truce. Witkoff refuted that report, saying:
“What I have seen is completely unacceptable.”
Despite this, a Palestinian official close to the negotiations told Tictac News that Hamas has agreed to Witkoff’s proposal, although they did not provide specifics on its contents.
A U.S. official told Tictac News that Witkoff has not met directly with Hamas. Instead, Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, who led the group “Arab Americans for Trump” during the 2024 presidential election, met with Hamas officials in Doha to discuss the deal on behalf of the administration.
Witkoff’s latest comments mark the first time he has stated he would oversee negotiations for a permanent ceasefire during the temporary truce.
Hamas Seeks Assurances
Hamas has long demanded guarantees that Israel would enter serious talks to end the war in return for another ceasefire — something Israel refused to do during previous truces. Witkoff’s involvement may serve as a U.S.-backed assurance that future negotiations will be honored.
Tictac News has reached out to the Israeli government for comment.
On Monday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message saying the release of hostages remains a top priority.
“I very much hope we’ll have something to announce on that front,” Netanyahu said. “And if not today, then tomorrow – we are not giving up.”
However, two Israeli officials later clarified that there had been “no progress” and that “Hamas continued to hold firm in its refusal.”
“The prime minister meant that a breakthrough could happen only if Hamas aligns with the Israeli position,” one of the officials stated.
Israeli Military Plans ‘Unprecedented Attack’
The proposed deal comes as tensions reach a boiling point. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders on Monday for much of southern Gaza, warning of an impending “unprecedented attack” on the region.
The order, delivered in Arabic by IDF spokesperson Avichay Adree, includes Khan Younis and the surrounding areas, which he labeled a “dangerous combat zone” that had received multiple prior warnings.
The evacuation zone now stretches all the way to the Gaza-Egypt border, where Israeli troops have occupied the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8-mile) strip along the southern edge of Gaza. The zone appears to include the entire city of Khan Younis, a densely populated area sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians.
The order instructs residents to relocate to the Al-Mawasi area, a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean coast, already overwhelmed with evacuees from previous operations.
