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Jerusalem, Sep 19 (IANS) Israel has submitted a new proposal for a ceasefire deal with Hamas, which includes offering Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other members "safe passage" out of Gaza in return for the release of hostages, Israeli state media reported Thursday.
The proposal has been conveyed to the United States, which has been mediating the indirect talks alongside Qatar and Egypt, state-owned Kan Reshet Bet radio reported, citing Israeli officials.
Under the proposed terms, Israel will guarantee "safe passage" for Sinwar and any Hamas member wishing to leave the Palestinian territory without any assassination attempts, it reported.
The proposal also calls for demilitarizing Gaza and replacing Hamas there with what Israel describes as "a different governing mechanism," it reported.
So far, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has not officially confirmed the report.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that while the group has not yet received the proposal, the outline, based on media reports, was "absurd" and disregarded the mediators' extensive efforts over the past eight months.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.
According to official Israeli figures, there are still 101 hostages in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
Egypt, the United States, and Qatar mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas that ended in late November 2023. However, subsequent mediation efforts over the past few months have not yielded ideal results.
In mid-August, the three mediators announced the conclusion of two days of discussion in Doha, where a new Gaza ceasefire proposal was presented.
The mediators characterized the discussions as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. However, Hamas, which did not participate directly in the Doha negotiations, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal and expressed skepticism about the negotiations' outcome.
--IANS
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