Egypt and Qatar Call for Gaza Ceasefire After Hamas Approval/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Egypt and Qatar are urging a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas reportedly showed a positive response to a renewed truce proposal. The push comes as Israel plans a major offensive in densely populated areas, risking more civilian casualties and complicating hostage negotiations. Over 62,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, many of them civilians.
Gaza Ceasefire Talks Quick Looks
- Qatar pushes for urgent ceasefire, citing Hamas’s favorable response to a U.S.-backed proposal.
- Israel has not officially responded, while planning an expanded military offensive.
- Proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire and partial hostage release.
- Witkoff, U.S. envoy, invited back to negotiations after previous withdrawal.
- 28 Palestinians killed Tuesday in strikes, including aid-seekers and children.
- Over 62,000 Palestinians killed since 2023, half reportedly women and children.
- 154 adults and 112 children have died of malnutrition.
- Aid efforts continue, including new sea shipments and international airdrops.
- COGAT allows 370 aid trucks per day, but far short of needed 600.
Deep Look: Qatar Urges Gaza Ceasefire as Hamas Shows Willingness
JERUSALEM — A renewed effort to halt the devastating war in Gaza has emerged, as Egypt and Qatar announced that Hamas has given a “positive response” to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. However, Israel has yet to offer its stance, raising concerns as its military signals a new offensive in Gaza’s most densely populated zones.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, emphasized the urgency of securing a truce to avoid a deeper humanitarian disaster.
“If this proposal fails, the crisis will exacerbate,” he warned. Al-Ansari noted that the plan Hamas tentatively accepted is nearly identical to a previous proposal by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, involving a 60-day ceasefire.
The Egyptian official source stated that the proposal accepted by Hamas included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year-old conflict.
A source familiar with the negotiations said the proposal closely mirrored an earlier plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had accepted.
The mediators met Hamas representatives in Cairo on Sunday. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, joined the discussions on Monday and met both Egyptian President el-Sisi and Hamas representatives, said an official briefed on the meetings.
Israel approved the plan to take control of Gaza City earlier this month, but officials had said it could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, even though Netanyahu had said it would get under way “fairly quickly” and end the war with Hamas’ defeat.
That ceasefire deal would allow for the release of some of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, with an aim to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities and the full return of captives.
Still, al-Ansari cautioned, “Even if a deal is reached, implementation won’t be immediate. We’re not there yet.”
The renewed push for negotiations comes after Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, confirmed that discussions were continuing with Arab mediators and Hamas leaders, with Qatar’s prime minister also taking part. Abdelatty revealed that Witkoff, who had previously exited the talks citing Hamas’s unwillingness to cooperate, has now been invited to rejoin the negotiation table. His response remains unknown.
Israel’s official position appears unchanged. A senior Israeli official reiterated the country’s demands for the unconditional release of all hostages and the total disarmament of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to insist on what he calls a “final push” to defeat Hamas militarily.
Mounting Civilian Deaths Raise Alarm
Tuesday’s military actions in Gaza further escalated concerns. Hospital officials across the territory reported 28 new deaths, including women and children, from Israeli airstrikes. Notably, nine people were killed while seeking humanitarian aid, adding to criticism of Israel’s military approach.
In the southern Gaza region of Muwasi, Nasser Hospital reported an entire family — a mother, father, and three children — killed in a tent by an airstrike. “An entire family was gone in an instant,” said the children’s grieving grandfather, Majed al-Mashwakhi.
Officials from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — an American contractor working with Israel to coordinate aid — had no immediate comment. Likewise, Israel’s military did not respond to inquiries regarding the latest civilian casualties.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, under Hamas control but operated by local medical staff, stated the war’s death toll now exceeds 62,000. While the Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, it maintains that women and children make up roughly half the fatalities.
Starvation and Malnutrition Deepen Crisis
In addition to deaths from violence, starvation has become a growing killer. In the last 24 hours alone, three additional deaths from malnutrition were reported. Since June, 154 adults and 112 children have reportedly died from starvation-related causes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The crisis began in October 2023 following Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel. Since then, access to essentials such as food, medicine, and clean water has become increasingly restricted, especially after Israel imposed a total blockade in March 2025. Aid deliveries only partially resumed two and a half months later.
Aid Efforts Under Pressure
Despite efforts to resume aid, logistical challenges persist. On Tuesday, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said 370 aid trucks entered Gaza — significantly below the 600-truck daily minimum required by the U.N. to meet humanitarian needs.
With land routes restricted since Israel seized the Rafah crossing in May 2024, aid organizations have looked to sea and air delivery options. On Tuesday, a vessel carrying 1,200 tons of pre-screened food — including pasta, baby formula, and rice — departed from Cyprus to Israel’s port in Ashdod.
Simultaneously, COGAT announced that 180 pallets of aid were airdropped into Gaza with assistance from France, Jordan, and the UAE. However, international agencies criticize these airdrops as costly, inefficient, and potentially hazardous to civilians on the ground.
The international community continues to push for a breakthrough, with the hope that a tentative agreement — however fragile — could stop the bloodshed and allow for long-term negotiations toward peace and reconstruction in Gaza.
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