As Israeli airstrikes continue to pound the Gaza Strip, leaving mounting civilian casualties and deepening the humanitarian crisis, the Palestinian movement Hamas announced it is reviewing a new ceasefire proposal “with a high sense of national responsibility.” The offer was delivered through Egyptian mediation, as stalled negotiations and intensifying military operations cast doubt over prospects for a resolution.
According to a Palestinian source, the Israeli proposal outlines a 45-day ceasefire, during which Hamas would release five Israeli hostages alive on the second day. In return, Israel would free 66 Palestinians serving life sentences, along with 611 detainees from Gaza arrested after 7 October 2023.
The plan also calls for the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning on the second day, and the repositioning of Israeli forces from Rafah and northern Gaza. During the ceasefire, discussions would aim to reach a permanent cessation of hostilities.
However, a senior Hamas official said the group’s delegation has rejected the proposal in its current form, arguing it “crosses red lines” by demanding the disarmament of resistance factions without guarantees of a full Israeli withdrawal or a definitive end to the war. The official emphasized that all Palestinian factions are united in their opposition to the deal, declaring that the armed resistance remains “a red line that cannot be crossed.”
In a separate development, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said the group has lost contact with the unit holding Israeli soldier Aidan Alexander, following an Israeli airstrike on their location. He accused Israel of deliberately intensifying attacks to deflect attention from the issue of dual-nationality hostages and to prolong what he described as a “genocidal war against our people.”
In a further escalation, Gaza’s Ministry of Health condemned the Israeli bombing of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Younis, calling it part of a systematic campaign to cripple the health sector. The strike, which hit the hospital’s rear gate, injured several medical staff.
The ministry warned that the attack exacerbates an already collapsing healthcare system, plagued by severe shortages—37% of medications and 59% of essential supplies are currently unavailable. It cautioned that hundreds of patients, including those with cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease, are at imminent risk due to the ongoing blockade and the closure of border crossings.
Since the start of the conflict on 7 October 2023, the death toll in Gaza has reached 51,000, with 116,343 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health. Between 18 March and the present, 1,630 people have been killed and 4,302 injured.
Meanwhile, in a move reflecting growing international outrage, the President of the Maldives ratified a ban on the entry of Israeli citizens. The decision was described in a presidential statement as “a firm stance in response to the genocide being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.” The Maldives called for greater international accountability and pressure to halt the ongoing military offensive.
