Citing Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations, the Authority reported that the proposal also includes discussing the future of the war during the ceasefire period, while raising two demands rejected by the Palestinians: disarming the factions and deporting their leaders.
Channel 12 explained that the proposal also includes Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and 1,000 other prisoners serving ordinary sentences.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 58 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. More than 10,100 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
While Hamas asserts its readiness to conclude a comprehensive exchange deal that would end the war and guarantee the mutual release of prisoners, the Israeli opposition and the prisoners' families accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing any progress to serve his own political interests.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the cabinet is considering a plan to bring in humanitarian aid via a private American company starting May 24, amid acknowledgment that the goal of the joint American-Israeli plan is to empty northern Gaza of its residents by transforming Rafah into a distribution center.
Since March 2, Israel has been blocking the passage of aid into the Gaza Strip, causing a humanitarian catastrophe amid an unprecedented famine. Meanwhile, the war of extermination on Gaza has continued since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 174,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, according to Palestinian and UN data.
