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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he accepted a new Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange outline presented by United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Israel accepts the new Witkoff outline,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement released by his office.
Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed Thursday that it has received a new proposal from mediators for a cease-fire and prisoner exchange. The Palestinian group said it was reviewing the proposal, which came from the U.S. envoy, as Israeli strikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip, killing at least 44 people, according to rescue teams.
Hamas did not provide any details about the content of the new proposal.
On Wednesday, the group said it had reached an agreement with Witkoff on a general framework for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. However, cease-fire negotiations aimed at ending more than 18 months of war have yet to reach a breakthrough since Israel resumed military operations in the territory in March after a brief truce.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday he was optimistic and expected to propose a plan soon. Hamas later confirmed, “It has received Witkoff's new proposal from the mediators and is currently studying it responsibly.”
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, even as limited aid has begun to trickle in following more than two months of Israeli blockade. Food security experts warn that one in five people in Gaza now faces the threat of starvation.
The Israeli military has continued its offensive in Gaza since October 2023, defying growing international pressure for a cease-fire. More than 54,200 Palestinians — most of them women and children — have been killed, according to health officials in Gaza. Aid organizations have warned of a looming famine among the territory’s population of more than 2 million.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over alleged war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
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