The Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, closely associated with Hezbollah, claims to have obtained the Israeli proposal, which was relayed to Hamas by Egyptian intermediaries on April 26. The proposal aims to establish “sustainable calm” in the Gaza Strip and to facilitate the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
According to the publication, the main points of the proposal are outlined as follows:
- The initial stage will last for 40 days with the option of extension. As hostages are released, Israel will gradually withdraw its troops from the sector, starting with the area along the Gaza Creek. Israeli air operations will cease for 8 hours daily.
- Displaced Gazans will be allowed to return home, with the sector receiving 500 trucks of supplies daily, half designated for the northern region, along with 50 fuel tankers.
- In the first stage, Hamas is expected to release at least 33 living hostages, prioritizing women, minors, the elderly (over 50 years old), and the sick and wounded. Each released hostage will be exchanged for 20 prisoners from an agreed list, with preference given to women, minors, and the elderly.
- Female military personnel will be exchanged for 40 prisoners each, including those serving life sentences. However, these prisoners will be barred from entering the West Bank, and Israel pledges not to re-arrest them for the same offenses.
- Initially, three female hostages will be released on the first day, followed by three hostages every three days. Simultaneously, Israel will release prisoners from its jails, with the option to refuse release for up to 200 individuals.
- By the 16th day of the first stage, negotiations for a long-term ceasefire will commence, accompanied by the restoration of infrastructure such as electricity, water supply, sewage systems, and debris removal. Temporary camps will be set up for those displaced.
- The second stage, lasting 42 days, will focus on finalizing a lasting ceasefire and exchanging the remaining surviving prisoners, primarily men, including military personnel. Preparations for rebuilding housing and civilian facilities will commence.
- In the third stage, also lasting 42 days, the bodies of deceased hostages will be transferred to Israel, and a five-year reconstruction plan for the sector will begin, excluding military infrastructure.
- Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are designated as guarantors of the agreement.
