A senior Israeli official on Tuesday said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza ceasefire deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal.
Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan, a day after Hamas signalled its readiness for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war.
Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism, noting the latest proposal was “almost identical” to an earlier version agreed to by Israel.
