Egyptian sources: Gaza captive release hinges on Witkoff’s ceasefire proposal

CAIRO – 20 August 2025: Egyptian sources told Al Qahera News on Tuesday that the only viable path to securing the release of captives in Gaza lies through negotiations based on the ceasefire proposal introduced by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

Their remarks come after Hamas on Monday announced that it, along with other Palestinian factions, accepted a ceasefire framework put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

Majed Al-Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Qatar and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told media on Tuesday that the latest proposal is “about 98% similar” to the plan previously presented by Witkoff in June.

 

Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel collapsed late last month after both the United States and Israel withdrew their negotiators from Qatar.

At the time, Witkoff accused Hamas of undermining mediation efforts and warned that Washington would now consider “alternative options” to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff said in a statement. “We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”

The new proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire, during which 10 living Israeli captives and 18 bodies, representing half of the total captives, would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, sources told Al Qahera News on Monday.

The plan also calls for the redeployment of Israeli forces to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and the immediate launch of talks on a comprehensive agreement or permanent ceasefire.

 

Sources on Tuesday said the new framework is designed to lead to the release of all captives and warned that the Israeli government now faces a critical test of its willingness to secure their return.

They added that the proposal, accepted by Hamas, will enjoy American guarantees and will be backed by US President Donald Trump.

Despite receiving the proposal more than 24 hours ago, Israel has yet to submit an official response to the mediators, the sources noted.

Israel stated it would respond by Friday. However, earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel would only accept a deal that ensures the release of all captives at once, casting doubt on the current proposal’s chances.

Meanwhile, Israel on Wednesday approved a globally-condemned plan to occupy Gaza City, home to roughly one million Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip.

The plan includes objectives such as establishing full Israeli security control over the enclave, a step widely viewed by Arab nations as a “reoccupation” of Gaza.

Over the past 22 months of war, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed more than 62,000 people, including nearly 2,000 individuals seeking humanitarian aid, and injured over 156,500 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Israeli reoccupation plan has drawn sharp criticism across the Arab world and from key international partners, including several of Israel’s Western allies.

The ongoing escalation has further intensified concerns about the deepening humanitarian crisis. The conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s population and pushed the territory to the brink of famine, with dozens of deaths already attributed to starvation.

 

A joint statement released last week by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), signed by 21 European countries, along with Canada, Australia, and Japan, warned that “the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels.”

“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” the statement said.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, 251 people, 108 of them children, have died from starvation and malnutrition amid severe restrictions on aid. Israel imposed a near-total blockade on the enclave for nearly three months earlier this year.