Egypt and Qatar, key mediators in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, have presented the Palestinian resistance group with a new ceasefire proposal that includes a truce lasting between five and seven years and the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

According to a Hamas source cited by EFE on Tuesday, the Egyptian-Qatari plan also calls for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and an internationally guaranteed reconstruction of the war-torn enclave. The source indicated that Hamas has received the details of the proposal and has demonstrated “unprecedented flexibility” in response.

In a significant shift, Hamas expressed its willingness to relinquish governance in Gaza, suggesting that control could be transferred to the Palestinian Authority or a newly established administrative body. However, further details regarding this transition remain undisclosed.

Egyptian and Arab media reported that a Hamas delegation led by senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya is scheduled to arrive in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the contents of the proposal with Egyptian officials.

Earlier this month, Hamas rejected a separate ceasefire proposal that conditioned peace on its disarmament, an Israeli demand deemed “unacceptable” by the group, which reiterated its commitment to armed resistance. Currently, Hamas holds 59 Israeli hostages in Gaza, of whom 24 are believed to be alive. Their release was supposed to be part of the second phase of a truce agreement reached in January, which Israel ultimately blocked in early March.

In mid-March, Hamas had offered to release Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander along with the remains of four hostages in exchange for the resumption of indirect negotiations with Israel over the truce deal. However, Israel insisted that Hamas comply with an alternative proposal from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, demanding the immediate release of 11 live hostages and half of the deceased captives.

As diplomatic efforts continue, the future of Gaza hangs in the balance, with hopes that a lasting agreement may alleviate the suffering of civilians trapped in an unrelenting conflict.

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