Current Proposal Includes Two-Stage Process and 45-Day Ceasefire

Mediators are pressing forward with a two-stage framework for ending the war in Gaza, with the current proposal on the table calling for an initial 45-day ceasefire to create space for negotiations toward a permanent halt to hostilities, sources familiar with the discussions said Monday.

The proposal, circulated among the parties through Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediators, envisions the first phase as a window for confidence-building measures, the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the entry of significantly increased humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. Negotiations on a durable, permanent end to the war would run in parallel during that period.

If the first phase holds, the framework would transition into a second stage aimed at cementing a comprehensive agreement, including terms for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a longer-term political arrangement for the territory's governance and reconstruction.

The proposal reflects months of intensive shuttle diplomacy led in large part by Qatar, whose foreign ministry has served as the primary channel of communication between Israel and Hamas. Doha has repeatedly warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and that a ceasefire is urgently needed to allow aid convoys to reach civilians trapped under bombardment.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in October 2023 following the Hamas-led attacks that left around 1,200 Israelis dead and saw roughly 250 taken hostage. The United Nations and international relief agencies have described conditions in Gaza as among the worst humanitarian crises in the modern era, with famine conditions spreading across much of the strip.

Negotiations have stalled and restarted multiple times over the past year, with gaps remaining over Hamas's demand for a guaranteed permanent ceasefire before releasing remaining hostages, and Israel's insistence on retaining the right to resume military operations. The 45-day framework appears designed to bridge that divide by deferring the permanent-end question to a second negotiating track.

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has remained in close contact with all parties. Officials in Doha have stressed that any agreement must include ironclad guarantees for Gaza's civilian population and a credible pathway toward reconstruction, positions that have broad support across the Gulf Cooperation Council.

No date has been set for a formal response from either party to the latest proposal.