Qatari and Egyptian Mediators Present New Ceasefire Framework to Hamas: Israeli Response Still Unclear

By: Fern Sidman

Efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas have taken a new turn as Qatari and Egyptian mediators have introduced a far-reaching ceasefire proposal to Hamas, one that includes a multi-year truce, the release of all Israeli hostages, and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, according to a report by the BBC, cited in a report that appeared on Tuesday at the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).

This proposed framework—reportedly spanning a five to seven-year truce—marks the most comprehensive ceasefire outline offered since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists carried out a brutal assault on Israeli territory, murdering over 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and abducting 251 others into Gaza, as the JNS report emphasized.

According to the information provided in the JNS report, the plan envisions not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a structural political transformation within Gaza, including the potential replacement of Hamas with a new Palestinian governing body that enjoys broad national and regional approval.

The proposal includes the following key components: A truce lasting five to seven years, release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other terror factions in Gaza, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, a complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a new Palestinian governing authority to replace Hamas rule.

As per the information contained in the JNS report, this would represent a fundamental reordering of Gaza’s political structure, and for the first time since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza in 2007, the terror group appears open to relinquishing power—conditionally.

According to the BBC report cited by JNS, Hamas has signaled readiness to hand over governance to another Palestinian body that receives regional and national consensus. Such a concession—if acted upon—could be seen as an acknowledgment by Hamas that its long-term control of the coastal enclave is no longer tenable under sustained Israeli military pressure.

Despite the initiative, JNS reported that no official Israeli confirmation or response to the proposed framework has been issued. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has remained firm in its position that the war will not end unless Hamas is dismantled, its military capabilities destroyed, and all Israeli hostages are returned unconditionally.

Only days before this proposal emerged, Hamas rejected a separate Israeli offer that included a six-week ceasefire in exchange for partial disarmament and the phased release of hostages. The rejection has only deepened skepticism within the Israeli political and security establishment about Hamas’s intentions.

As the JNS report indicated, Netanyahu has publicly reiterated that any ceasefire arrangement which allows Hamas to remain in power—even temporarily—is a non-starter for Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet commented on the current round of mediation as of this article’s publication.

The new proposal emerges in a complex diplomatic climate. Qatar and Egypt, both of whom maintain ties with Hamas and open communication channels with Israel, have increased their mediation efforts amid mounting humanitarian concerns in Gaza and growing international pressure for a ceasefire.

However, as JNS has previously reported, Israel’s long-term strategic objective remains the total removal of Hamas from the political and military landscape of Gaza. The Israeli government views any ceasefire that allows Hamas to rearm or regroup as a direct threat to its national security—and a betrayal of the Israeli families whose loved ones were slaughtered or kidnapped during the October 7 massacre.

Hamas is officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Israel, among others. As the JNS report noted, its political and military wings are not distinguished in Israeli law, and its actions on October 7 reaffirmed its standing as an Iranian-backed terrorist entity committed to Israel’s destruction.

While the proposal remains in early stages, the involvement of top-level Qatari and Egyptian mediation—and Hamas’s conditional openness to relinquishing control—could mark a potential inflection point in a conflict that has exacted a heavy toll on both Israelis and Palestinians.

A senior Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo to further evaluate the plan. Still, as the JNS report makes clear, whether Hamas is genuinely prepared to cede power—or is merely stalling for time—remains the central question.

For now, the proposed framework stands as the most ambitious diplomatic initiative since the war began, one that could reset the terms of engagement in the region. But without Israeli agreement, and absent verifiable guarantees of Hamas’s permanent disarmament and disempowerment, the road to peace remains steep.

Israel’s red lines have not changed—and any peace that leaves Hamas intact is not one Israel is willing to accept.