August 19 (Reuters) -The Gaza ceasefire proposal Hamas accepted on Monday – with an Israeli response expected by the end of the week – is for a 60-day truce, a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop pullouts from parts of Gaza, and discussions on ending the conflict.
The deal is nearly identical to a proposal Washington put forward earlier this year, a spokesperson for mediator Qatar said on Tuesday. Hamas rejected that deal in July.
Here are key details of the ceasefire proposal, as outlined to Reuters by a senior Hamas leader and two Egyptian security sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity:
– Ten Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. Israel says that of 50 hostages held by Hamas and its allies, 20 are believed to be alive.
– In exchange, Israel will release 150 detained Palestinians it sentenced to life in prison and 50 Palestinians it sentenced to more than 15 years.
– For each body Hamas returns, Israel will return the bodies of 10 Palestinian militants.
– Israel will permit aid to enter Gaza with the involvement of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
– The Israeli army will remain in Gaza, but will withdraw to an approximately 1-kilometre-wide (0.6-mile-wide) zone along the enclave’s north and eastern borders that also includes the areas of Beit Lahiya and Shejaia.
– Once the ceasefire takes effect, Hamas and Israel will begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ahmed Shalaby in Cairo and Andrew Mills in Doha; Editing by Andrew Mills and Rod Nickel)
