War in Israel: Hamas militants agree to modified US ceasefire proposal

Hamas representatives are set to travel to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in the coming days to discuss final details and implementation of the agreement.

The White House proposal urged Hamas militants in Gaza to release women, elderly people, wounded hostages, and agree to a temporary cessation of hostilities in the war with Israel to ensure a more lasting ceasefire.

"A ceasefire is on the table today, for six weeks to be built on into something more enduring if Hamas would simply release women, wounded and elderly," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told journalists.

According to the latest proposal, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners in a ratio of 10 to one for Hamas-held hostages. The agreement will also involve the gradual return of displaced Palestinians from Gaza.

War in Israel

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip. According to official data, in the first days of the attacks, militants killed 1200 civilians and soldiers and abducted around 250 people.

At the end of October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip, which is ongoing. The country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that the operation aims to completely destroy Hamas and free the hostages.

On February 8, Netanyahu announced that Israel's full victory was imminent. He also reported the IDF's readiness to begin a ground invasion of the city of Rafah near the border with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip.

Earlier, we reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu anticipates the conclusion of the war against Hamas militants within one or two months.

We also reported that the Prime Minister of Lebanon announced negotiations for conflict resolution with Israel, which will begin this week.