A cease-fire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region.
Relatives and supporters of Israel i hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hold photos of their loved ones during a protest calling for their return in Tel Aviv, Israel , Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.
Both sides have agreed in principle to the plan, which U.S. President Joe Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed "amendments" and Israel has suggested "clarifications," leading each side to accuse the other of making new demands it cannot accept. The two sides are also divided over the details of the hostage-prisoner exchange, including who among the Palestinian prisoners would be eligible for release and whether they would be sent into exile. Hamas has demanded the release of high-profile militants convicted of orchestrating attacks that killed Israelis.
More recently, Hamas has objected to what it says are new Israeli demands to maintain a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border and a road dividing northern and southern Gaza. Israel denies these are new demands, saying it needs a presence along the border to prevent weapons smuggling and that it must search Palestinians returning to northern Gaza to ensure they are not armed.
They abducted another 250 people. Over 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them died on Oct. 7 or in captivity. Seven were rescued in military operations. Hamas has suffered major losses, but its fighters have repeatedly managed to regroup, even in heavily destroyed areas where Israeli forces had previously operated. Its top leader and one of the architects of the Oct. 7 attack, Yahya Sinwar, is still believed to be alive and hiding inside Gaza, likely sheltering in Hamas' vast tunnel network.
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