Hamas has officially agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal aimed at halting the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a senior Palestinian official familiar with the matter. The plan, put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, was received by Hamas via international mediators.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement outlines a 70-day truce in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli hostages, who will be freed in two separate groups. In return, Israel is expected to partially withdraw from the Gaza Strip and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are serving long-term sentences.

As of now, Israel has not issued an official response to the proposal.

The new peace proposal follows the collapse of a previous ceasefire in January. On March 18, Israel resumed military operations in Gaza, prompting a renewed wave of rocket fire from Hamas and allied groups.

Hamas has indicated its readiness to release all remaining hostages captured during its October 7, 2023 attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and resulted in 251 hostages being taken into Gaza. In return, the group is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will only consider temporary ceasefires tied to hostage releases and insists that military operations will continue until Hamas is fully dismantled.

Since the onset of the conflict, Gaza’s health authorities report that nearly 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, and humanitarian organizations warn of widespread malnutrition and devastation across the coastal territory.