In a major breakthrough to diplomatic efforts so far, Israel has rejected a newly proposed ceasefire agreement that demanded 10 Israeli hostages in return for a 70-day Gaza truce. The move has raised international alarm once again over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the blockaded region and tightened noose on Egyptian-led efforts to broker peace between Israel and Hamas.
The offer of the deal, which was said to have been mediated by neighbors, was meant to defuse tensions with a step-by-step halting of fighting, enabling necessary humanitarian assistance to Gaza and starting indirect talks on final terms of peace. Israeli officials rejected the offer, citing unmet security concerns and insufficient assurances about Hamas’s ultimate disarmament.
Israeli officials stressed that the freeing of hostages is still the top priority, but that the government cannot accept an agreement that could permit Hamas to rearm militarily. In the meantime, families of hostages have expressed frustration, urging the government to put the safe return of their relatives ahead of political considerations.
The dismissal of the truce proposal is amid intensifying pressure across the board to find a long-lasting solution. As regional and international actors call for restraint and compromise, chances of a breakthrough in the near future are dim, as civilians trapped in the fighting continue to suffer.
