Israel has reportedly proposed halting its assault on Gaza for two months in exchange for the release of more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza. According to Axios, the proposed deal would also involve the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel — but it would not end the war in Gaza. Axios reports Israel has given the proposal to Hamas through mediators from Qatar and Egypt. Separately, CNN reports, Israel proposed allowing top Hamas officials to leave Gaza as part of a broader ceasefire negotiation.
President Biden’s Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, is in Egypt and will soon head to Qatar. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing political pressure to bring home the hostages. Earlier today, Israel announced 24 of its soldiers were killed in Gaza on Monday in the deadliest day for Israeli forces since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.