Hamas Agrees to Egypt’s Ceasefire Proposal 

New Delhi, 30th March 2025: Hamas has agreed to Egypt’s ceasefire proposal, which was submitted two days ago. According to a report from CNN, citing a Hamas source, the proposal includes the release of five hostages. This development comes in tandem with a similar initiative put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. However, it remains unclear whether Hamas will also return the bodies of those killed during the ongoing conflict.

Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas in Gaza, emphasized the group’s commitment to its people and families in a statement on Saturday, saying, “In our commitment to our people and families, we have acted responsibly and positively on all proposals aimed at ending the war.” He confirmed that Hamas had received an offer from their intermediary partners the day before and had responded affirmatively, approving the ceasefire proposal. This agreement follows the latest initiative put forward by Egypt, with the hope of bringing an end to the ongoing conflict.

On Saturday night, Israel confirmed it had received a new ceasefire proposal regarding Gaza. In response, the Israeli government sent a counter-proposal to the mediating countries, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The counter-proposal was made after “full coordination” with the United States. The terms of the Israeli counter-proposal suggest that Hamas would release some of the 59 hostages currently held by Israel in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire in Gaza, as reported by state-run Kan TV News.

Israel has called for a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of five hostages, but the situation remains tense. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas that Israel would maintain its presence in certain areas of Gaza until all hostages are released.

 Meanwhile, Israel resumed its military operations earlier this month. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced new ground operations in the Al Janina area of Rafah, southern Gaza, aimed at expanding security zones and dismantling Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure. According to the IDF, Israel will continue its military actions until all 24 hostages held by Hamas are freed.

While Hamas has agreed to Egypt’s proposal, Israel is sticking to its demand for the release of all hostages before ending military actions. Israel has also continued its operations in Gaza. The next few days will be important to see if these talks lead to peace or if the violence continues. The world is watching closely, hoping for a peaceful end to the conflict and a solution to the ongoing crisis.