Source says new Gaza plan would free 10 hostages in first phase

A source from the Islamic Jihad terror group fighting alongside Hamas in Gaza tells AFP that a proposed ceasefire plan presented to Hamas today involves a “ceasefire agreement lasting 60 days, during which 10 Israeli hostages would be released alive, along with a number of bodies.”

Previous talks had centered around a deal that would see 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others released in a first phase.

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, including the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. The number includes the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.

According to the Islamic Jihad source, “the remaining captives would be released in a second phase, with immediate negotiations to follow for a broader deal” for a permanent end to “the war and aggression” with international guarantees.

The source adds that “all factions are supportive of what was presented” by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

Israel’s government is said to now demand that any deal include all hostages released in a single tranche.