A dramatic new American-backed proposal aimed at securing a temporary ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza is sending political shockwaves through Jerusalem, as updated terms reveal that Hamas may release 10 living Israeli hostages, not nine as previously reported, along with 18 bodies, in exchange for over 1,400 Palestinian prisoners and corpses.

According to Hebrew-language media and the pan-Arab channel Al Ghad, the high-stakes outline was quietly submitted overnight to both Hamas and the Israeli government. It calls for a 60-day ceasefire—a fragile window during which complex exchanges and diplomatic negotiations would unfold under intense international pressure.

Deal Details:

• Hostages Released by Hamas:

  • 10 living Israelis

  • 18 bodies of deceased hostages
    (Half to be released on Day 1, remainder on Day 7)

• Prisoners and Bodies Released by Israel:

  • 125 convicted terrorists serving life sentences

  • 1,111 Gazans detained since the October 7th massacre

  • 180 Palestinian bodies held in Israeli morgues

    Would love to hear your thoughts?
    
    Witkoff’s updated ceasefire proposal:
    
    🔹 Ten living hostages will be released
    
    🔹 Day 1: Five living and nine dead hostages will be released.
    
    🔹 Day 7: Another five living and nine dead hostages will be released.
    
    🔹 President Trump will… pic.twitter.com/w2aHZRvnlD

    — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 29, 2025

• Additional Provisions:

  • Full entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza

  • A phased IDF withdrawal to agreed-upon positions

  • A US-brokered guarantee for continued negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire

  • Critically, Israel retains the right to resume combat if talks collapse

Political Firestorm Erupts in Israel

As news of the offer breaks, political leaders are scrambling to define their positions—with the opposition embracing the plan and coalition hawks denouncing it as capitulation.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid threw his full weight behind the American deal at the “Democratic Israel Will Win” conference. “Israel should publicly and immediately accept this proposal,” Lapid declared. He pledged a “complete safety net” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, assuring that centrist parties would back the deal even if far-right coalition factions rebel.

For all of Witkoff's optimism yesterday, the sticking points here are basically the same as always. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; Israel does not. Hamas wants to keep hostages as leverage until the end of the deal; Israel wants them out immediately. pic.twitter.com/dSHAZShGr0

— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) May 29, 2025

Meanwhile, voices within the coalition sounded the alarm, portraying the deal as a lifeline to a collapsing terrorist regime.

“I object to giving a lifeline to Hamas,” said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Radio 103FM. “They are in distress, especially now that our new humanitarian aid system bypasses them completely. We will not retreat from the territories we’ve fought to liberate.”

His comments reflect growing outrage among nationalist ministers over reports that the deal would include an IDF withdrawal from the Morag Corridor and other strategic areas recently secured in southern Gaza.

Settlements Minister Orit Strock took to X with a fiery warning to Netanyahu:

“Hamas is on its knees. Now is not the time to fold. We must not squander our battlefield gains for a political illusion.”

Analysis: Between Morality and Military Momentum

The new American proposal underscores the moral dilemma and strategic tension facing Israel in the war’s eighth month. With families of hostages desperate for their loved ones’ return, and Hamas increasingly isolated both militarily and diplomatically, Israel stands at a crossroads.

Will the government seize a fleeting opportunity to rescue captives and shore up international support—or hold out for total victory on the battlefield?