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New Gaza Proposal Involves Release of 10 Hostages, 70-day Truce

Palestinians make their way as they return to the eastern side of Khan Younis after Israeli forces pulled out from the area following a raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
Palestinians make their way as they return to the eastern side of Khan Younis after Israeli forces pulled out from the area following a raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
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New Gaza Proposal Involves Release of 10 Hostages, 70-day Truce

Palestinians make their way as they return to the eastern side of Khan Younis after Israeli forces pulled out from the area following a raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
Palestinians make their way as they return to the eastern side of Khan Younis after Israeli forces pulled out from the area following a raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo

A Palestinian source familiar with negotiations aimed at securing a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza said Monday that a new proposal involved the release of 10 hostages, a 70-day ceasefire and a partial Israeli withdrawal.

The outline of the new potential deal comes as Israel ramps up its offensive in the Palestinian territory, and follows previous rounds of talks that have failed to reach a breakthrough ever since a two-month ceasefire fell apart in mid-March.

"The new proposal, which is considered a development of the path and vision of US envoy Steve Witkoff, includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a 70-day truce, a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip (and) the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners," the source close to negotiations told AFP.

The source added that mediators presented the proposal "over the past few days", without specifying whether it came from the United States, Egypt or Qatar, all of which have been involved in the ceasefire talks throughout the war.

The proposal would involve the release of "five living Israeli hostages during the first week of the agreement's implementation, and five others before the end of the truce period".

A second Palestinian source familiar with the talks told AFP that "Israel and Hamas will study the proposal and both sides will respond to the mediators".

Israel said last week that it was recalling its senior Gaza hostage negotiators from Doha "for consultation", while leaving some of its team in the Qatari capital.

Israel has recently intensified its campaign in Gaza, calling it an "expansion of the battle" against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The last ceasefire between the sides fell apart amid disagreements over how to move forward, with Israel resuming its operations in Gaza on March 18.

On March 2, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on the territory that it said was aimed at forcing concessions with Hamas, with UN agencies since warning it has created critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines.

Israel partially eased the blockade last week, and aid trucks have begun to trickle back into Gaza, though humanitarian groups have urged it to allow more supplies to enter faster.

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Arab World

Barzani Denounces ‘Suspicious Deals’ over Kirkuk Governorship

Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
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Barzani Denounces ‘Suspicious Deals’ over Kirkuk Governorship

Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Friday rejected a recent political agreement in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk province that led to the appointment of a new governor, describing the process as the result of “suspicious deals”.

Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said the move amounted to “manipulation of the will of Kirkuk voters” and arrangements conducted outside official frameworks.

The provincial council elected Mohammed Samaan Agha as governor in a session boycotted by the KDP, following the acceptance of the resignation of his predecessor Rebwar Taha.

The post has now gone to a Turkmen figure for the first time in decades. Turkmen residents celebrated in Kirkuk’s city center and streets on Thursday night following the vote.

Turkmen are Iraq’s third-largest ethnic group after Arabs and Kurds, and are spread across several provinces including Nineveh, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, Irbil, Diyala, Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah.

Unofficial estimates put their population at more than three million.

Barzani pointed to earlier political meetings in Baghdad, including at the Rashid Hotel, that resulted in arrangements to share control of the province among rival parties and ethnic groups.

In Baghdad, Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the KDP parliamentary bloc, described the election process as “illegitimate” and reiterated his party’s rejection of what he called the “Rashid Hotel deals”, stressing the need to respect the constitution and voters’ will.

The dispute comes amid rising political tensions in Kirkuk, where the KDP has lost ground to its Kurdish rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Bafel Talabani, which has strengthened its position in the provincial council through alliances with other Iraqi factions.

Shiite leader Qais al-Khazali said the appointment of the new governor was the “result” of prior political understandings aimed at ensuring balance and partnership in running the province, adding that the agreement envisages a rotation of posts, including for Arab representatives.

Samaan Agha, for his part, stressed that his administration would represent all components of Kirkuk — Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen — and pledged to address fuel shortages, improve electricity supply and enhance public services.

He added that power-sharing would be central to local governance. PUK spokesman Karwan Kaznay said the rotation of the governorship stemmed from an agreement reached two years ago, describing the practice as a “natural democratic process”.

Oil-rich Kirkuk has long been a flashpoint between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region, with its mixed population making political balances fragile despite relative improvements in security in recent years.

Arab World

Sharaa: Golan is Syrian Land, Any Other Status is Invalid

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on Friday (Turkish media)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on Friday (Turkish media)
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Sharaa: Golan is Syrian Land, Any Other Status is Invalid

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on Friday (Turkish media)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on Friday (Turkish media)

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said the Golan Heights are “occupied Syrian land” and that any recognition of Israeli sovereignty there would be “null and void,” stressing that the international community does not accept Israel’s claim.

Speaking at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Sharaa said Israel was violating the 1974 disengagement agreement and that Damascus was working to secure a security deal ensuring Israeli withdrawal from areas it seized after the fall of Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024, and a return to the 1974 lines.

“We are seeking to establish new rules — either revive the disengagement agreement or conclude a new deal guaranteeing both sides’ security,” he said, adding that success could open the door to long-term negotiations on the Golan issue.

Sharaa described current regional conditions as “difficult” and requiring exceptional solutions. He said conflicts in the Middle East have deep roots and that Syria aims to avoid alignment with rival blocs, positioning itself instead as a bridge between major powers.

He added that Damascus now maintains “ideal relations” with the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and regional states.

Sharaa said Syria had previously faced Iranian attacks linked to Tehran’s support for Assad against the Syrian people but had avoided being drawn into confrontation involving Iran, the US and Israel. “We pushed to prevent war because of its dangerous repercussions,” he said.

He also praised efforts by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Lebanon and expressed hope for a broader regional reset to prevent future conflicts.

Syria, he said, had suffered years of war, displacement and chemical attacks, and avoiding new conflicts was “the natural and correct path.”

US envoy to Syria and ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Washington had shifted its approach, reducing its military presence and withdrawing troops from its last base in Syria after years of fighting ISIS.

Barrack said Syria — once marked by internal divisions, tensions with Kurdish and Druze communities and close ties to Iran — had become one of the region’s more stable areas.

He noted that Syria had not fired “a single shot” at Israel since Dec. 8, 2024, while repeatedly signaling openness to a non-aggression pact and normalization.

Addressing the lack of an agreement despite Syria’s restraint, Barrack said Israel viewed Syria’s Druze community as closely linked and had crossed the border to “protect” them after unrest in Sweida. He cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying everything changed after Oct. 7, 2023, with Israel less bound by previous lines, including those of 1967 and 1974.

Barrack argued that military solutions do not deliver lasting peace and criticized reliance on force, saying it fuels cycles of hatred. He cited Lebanon, saying Israeli strikes had strengthened Hezbollah, and warned that militias backed by states such as Iran cannot be eliminated militarily alone.

He said the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was only a starting point and emphasized the need for regional solutions, pointing to the Abraham Accords as a potential framework for long-term stability.

Barrack described Syria’s transition as a “test case” developed in cooperation with Türkiye, highlighting Ankara’s economic strength and its role as a leading regional power and key member of NATO.

On the sidelines of the forum, Sharaa met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, alongside Syrian officials including Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama.

Sharaa said efforts were ongoing to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions and that northeast Syria was now free of foreign bases.

He outlined plans for reconstruction driven by investment, stressing that aid should not be politicized or conditional. He also highlighted growing economic ties with Türkiye, including plans for a joint free zone in Idlib to boost industry and facilitate trade and transport links with cities such as Aleppo and Damascus.

Separately, Sharaa met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

Arab World

Israeli Military Says Suspect Neutralized in West Bank

A Palestinian woman (R) reacts as an Israeli soldier pushes a man while Palestinians are forcibly removed as they try to reach their land after Israeli settlers reportedly attacked local farmers working on their fields, spraying them with pepper spray, near the Palestinian village of Halhoul, south of the Israel-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on April 17, 2026. October 2023. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
A Palestinian woman (R) reacts as an Israeli soldier pushes a man while Palestinians are forcibly removed as they try to reach their land after Israeli settlers reportedly attacked local farmers working on their fields, spraying them with pepper spray, near the Palestinian village of Halhoul, south of the Israel-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on April 17, 2026. October 2023. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
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Israeli Military Says Suspect Neutralized in West Bank

A Palestinian woman (R) reacts as an Israeli soldier pushes a man while Palestinians are forcibly removed as they try to reach their land after Israeli settlers reportedly attacked local farmers working on their fields, spraying them with pepper spray, near the Palestinian village of Halhoul, south of the Israel-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on April 17, 2026. October 2023. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
A Palestinian woman (R) reacts as an Israeli soldier pushes a man while Palestinians are forcibly removed as they try to reach their land after Israeli settlers reportedly attacked local farmers working on their fields, spraying them with pepper spray, near the Palestinian village of Halhoul, south of the Israel-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, on April 17, 2026. October 2023. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)

Israel's military said Saturday that a suspected militant carrying a knife had been "neutralized" at a settlement in the occupied West Bank.

"Following the alert that was activated regarding a suspected terrorist infiltration in the community of Negohot, a terrorist armed with a knife was identified and neutralized," the Israeli military said in a statement, adding security forces were conducting a search of the area.

The statement said it had no reports of other injuries but did not provide details on who had neutralized the suspect or their condition.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,050 Palestinians -- many of them militants, but also scores of civilians -- in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.

Official Israeli figures say at least 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations.