The Palestinian movement Hamas on Wednesday announced it reached an agreement with the US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, on a general framework that involves a ceasefire in Gaza and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
In a statement, Hamas said that the framework “ensures a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the flow of humanitarian aid and a professional committee assuming control of the Strip’s affairs immediately after the agreement is announced.”
Moreover, the framework involves “the release of 10 Israeli hostages and a number of bodies, in exchange for releasing an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, guaranteed by the mediators.”
The Palestinian movement added that it is waiting for a final response to this framework.
On Monday, Witkoff told CNN that a “ceasefire-hostage deal for Gaza is currently on the table” to end the war, urging Hamas to accept it.
The proposed deal included the release of half of the living hostages and half of the bodies of the deceased in return for a temporary ceasefire before starting negotiations for a comprehensive agreement to end the war. However, he did not specify the duration of the temporary ceasefire – a key issue in the negotiations.
Earlier on Monday, Hamas said it had agreed to what it called “Witkoff proposal,” which involved the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day ceasefire, Reuters reported citing a Palestinian official. But Witkoff dismissed the report, saying that this was not his proposal.
