Hamas presents three-stage truce deal, demands full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Hamas, on 6 February, responded to a ceasefire offer presented by Qatari and Egyptian mediators with a counterproposal that calls for a 135-day truce that includes a three-step prisoner exchange process, the cessation of all military operations by the warring sides, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the unrestrained entry of humanitarian aid to the strip, and an end to violent settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"This agreement aims to stop mutual military operations between the parties, reach a complete and sustainable calm, exchange prisoners between the two parties, end the siege on Gaza, rebuild, return residents and displaced people to their homes, and provide shelter and relief for all residents in all areas of the Gaza Strip," the Hamas statement reads.

The proposal calls on Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Russia, and the UN to act as guarantors of the agreement.

Divided into three 45-day stages, the prisoner exchange deal would first see the release of all Israeli women captives, males under 19, the elderly, and the sick. The remaining male captives would be freed during the second phase, and the remains of those killed in fighting would be exchanged in the third phase.

The resistance group also wants the release of 1,500 prisoners, a third of whom would be selected from a list of Palestinians handed life sentences by Israel.

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