Report: New Egyptian proposal suggests release of 8 hostages for 40–70 day ceasefire

Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent

Mothers attend a protest calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, in Tel Aviv. April 7, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)
Mothers attend a protest calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, in Tel Aviv. April 7, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)

The London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing an informed Egyptian source, that a new Egyptian proposal has been put forward to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

According to the report, the proposal provides for the release of eight living hostages and eight bodies of hostages in exchange for a truce lasting between 40 and 70 days and a large number of Palestinian terrorist and prisoner releases.

The source says that the proposal represents a compromise between a Hamas offer to release five hostages in return for a 50-day truce and an Israeli demand for the release of 11 hostages alive.

The report also notes that, according to the proposal, the eight living hostages would not be released all at once but in stages. As of now, neither side has issued a final response to the proposal.

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.

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