Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the family of a hostage held in Gaza that Israel is negotiating a ceasefire proposal that could secure the release of 10 captives, a hostage family group said on Monday.
The Tikva Forum, representing families of some hostages, said Netanyahu spoke by phone with Tzvika and Efrat Mor, parents of 23-year-old hostage Eitan Mor, and told them there had been “progress” in talks to free 10 living hostages.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed the call, stating he had “updated the family on the efforts to return the hostages and said that the efforts are ongoing even at this very moment,” without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV reported on Monday, citing a senior Hamas official, that Israel’s latest proposal includes a 45-day ceasefire, increased aid deliveries to Gaza, and the release of nine hostages, including Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander.
A second phase would involve negotiations on a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, disarming Hamas’s military wing, and determining Gaza’s post-war governance. The official said Hamas was still reviewing the plan.
Hamas has repeatedly said it will only free hostages as part of a deal ending the war. Israel insists military pressure is vital to secure releases.
According to Israeli figures, 59 hostages remain in Gaza out of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people.
Hamas released 33 hostages under a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19. The truce collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its ground and air operations in Gaza, effectively halting further prisoner exchanges.
Since the resumption of Israeli attacks in March, at least 1,613 Palestinians have been killed and 4,233 wounded, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of the conflict to 50,983, with 116,274 wounded, the health authorities in Gaza said on Monday.
Israeli strikes have left large parts of the Gaza Strip in ruins, with thousands of homes, hospitals, and infrastructure destroyed.
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