The United States and other mediators have reportedly heard from Hamas on their Gaza ceasefire plan, which involves freeing Palestinian inmates in return for the release of Israeli captives.
Previously, the office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of continuing to make "ridiculous demands" in a bid to derail a hostage arrangement.
Proposal by Hamas
According to the proposal seen by Reuters, Hamas seeks the freedom of 700-1,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for the first release of Israeli hostages. These hostages are said to include women, children, the elderly, and sick individuals.
Hamas claims that after the first round of prisoner and hostage exchanges, a permanent truce would be agreed upon. A timetable for Israel's exit from Gaza would also be determined after the first round of exchange.
According to the group, the second phase of the proposal would include the release of all prisoners from both sides.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged war cabinet members to reach a compromise. On Friday, March 15, the committee will convene to discuss the prospect of concluding the deal.
"For the first time, we can envision embracing them again, please grant us this right," the families of the hostages pleaded in a statement. The families appealed to the prime minister and war cabinet, urging them to rescue all 134 children who were "cruelly taken, solely for being Israelis."
Impasse in Negotiations
An increasing humanitarian catastrophe sees one-quarter of the Gaza Strip's population threatened with starvation. Egypt and Qatar have been attempting to reduce the disagreements between Israel and Hamas about the parameters of a ceasefire.
The Times of Israel pointed out that the current ceasefire plan is identical to an earlier draft that Hamas received in February from the Gaza truce negotiations in Paris. Both included a 40-day halt in all military activities and called for the exchange of Palestinian captives for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to 1.
Last week, negotiations seemed to come to a standstill when Hamas insisted that Israel terminate the conflict and pull all soldiers out of Gaza instead of the partial pullout and six-week ceasefire that Jerusalem had previously agreed to.
While Israel has committed to holding negotiations in accordance with the Paris agreement, it has repeatedly said that any ceasefire would be brief, reiterating its long-standing objective of continuing the conflict until Hamas is eliminated.
