2 journalists among 65 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as Egypt proposes new truce deal
CBC
Egypt has put forward a new proposal aimed at restoring the Gaza ceasefire deal, security sources told Reuters on Monday, as Palestinian health authorities said Israeli strikes have killed at least 65 people in the enclave in the past 24 hours.
The proposal, made last week, follows an escalation in violence after Israel resumed air and ground operations in the enclave last Tuesday, effectively ending a two-month period of relative calm.
Health officials said Israel has killed nearly 700 Palestinians since it resumed its attacks, including at least 400 women and children.
Among those killed on Monday were two local journalists, Mohammad Mansour and Hussam Shabat, medics said. The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate said at least 206 journalists have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since early October 2023, when the conflict erupted. There was no immediate Israeli comment.
Palestinian militant group Hamas said several of its senior political and security officials had also been killed.
The Egyptian plan calls for Hamas to release five Israeli hostages each week, with Israel implementing the second phase of the ceasefire after the first week, two security sources said.
Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, with 24 of them thought to still be alive.
Both the U.S. and Hamas agreed to the proposal, the security sources said, but Israel has not yet responded.
A Hamas official didn't confirm the proposed offer, but told Reuters "several proposals are being discussed with the mediators to bridge the gap and to resume negotiations to reach common ground that would pave the way to start the second phase of the agreement."
The sources said the Egyptian proposal also includes a timeline for Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, backed by U.S. guarantees, in exchange for the hostages' release.
Hamas has accused Israel of breaking the terms of the January ceasefire agreement, but has said it is willing to negotiate a truce and was studying proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Israel says it resumed its military operations to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza.
It says it does its best to reduce harm to civilians and has questioned the death toll provided by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.
Palestinian officials on Sunday put the death toll from nearly 18 months of conflict at over 50,000.
