Tel Aviv — Israel is dragging its feet on a Hamas proposal for a 60-day truce in Gaza, even as the war has turned the enclave into a graveyard for thousands of Palestinians and left over millions of civilians on the brink of famine. The deal, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, would secure the release of half the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a temporary halt to Israel’s bombardment, prisoner releases, and limited humanitarian concessions.
The terms include the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners, among them women, minors, and civilians abducted by Israel under its military detention system, many held without trial or charge in what rights groups describe as a blatant violation of international law. Israel has long used administrative detention as a weapon of control, jailing thousands of Palestinians for months or even years without evidence. In return, Hamas has agreed to hand over hostages in stages and, according to mediators, has refrained from introducing additional conditions.
For hostage families in Israel, the proposal has ignited a wave of protests, with demonstrators accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of sacrificing captives for political gain. Critics argue that by stalling on the truce, Israel is not only condemning its citizens to captivity but also enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where relentless bombings, starvation, and forced displacement are wiping out civilian life on an unprecedented scale.
Israel’s government, however, remains divided and uncompromising. Far-right ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have openly rejected any truce, demanding instead the full eradication of Hamas, regardless of civilian casualties. Netanyahu, clinging to power amid corruption charges and mass protests, has allowed these hardliners to dictate the war’s trajectory. Critics argue Israel’s refusal to engage constructively in ceasefire talks reveals a deliberate strategy: prolonging Gaza’s destruction to assert dominance while ignoring global outrage.
On the battlefield, Israel’s campaign continues to devastate Gaza. The offensive around Gaza City has displaced over 400,000 people in recent weeks, with families forced into overcrowded UN-run shelters where sanitation is collapsing and food supplies are nearly exhausted. Aid agencies report that more than 80 percent of Gaza’s population is now dependent on humanitarian aid, while over half face catastrophic levels of hunger. The World Health Organization has warned of mass outbreaks of disease, as hospitals are either bombed or operating without electricity, medicine, or clean water.
The human toll is staggering. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 62,000 Palestinians killed since the start of the war, the majority of them women and children. Thousands more remain trapped under rubble as rescue operations falter due to constant airstrikes. Israel, meanwhile, cites around 1,200 fatalities from the initial Hamas-led attack of October 2023, using that number to justify a military campaign that rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called disproportionate and amounting to genocide.
Internationally, Israel faces growing isolation. South Africa and several Latin American nations have already cut diplomatic ties, while the International Court of Justice has issued provisional rulings ordering Israel to halt its operations that risk exterminating Gaza’s population. Despite this, the United States continues to shield Israel diplomatically, vetoing resolutions at the UN and supplying advanced weaponry, from bunker-busting bombs to precision-guided missiles. Critics argue that Washington’s dual role — endorsing the truce while fueling Israel’s military campaign — makes it complicit in the atrocities.
European governments remain divided. France and Spain have called for an immediate ceasefire and recognition of a Palestinian state, while Germany and Britain maintain staunch support for Israel. Analysts say this split reflects a broader collapse of Western unity, with public opinion in Europe increasingly hostile to Israeli actions and pressuring governments to distance themselves from Netanyahu.
According to Reuters, Hamas has already accepted the 60-day ceasefire proposal without fresh conditions, while Israel refuses to commit, leaving Egypt, Qatar, and Washington scrambling to salvage the deal as public anger mounts over Israel’s refusal to halt what many see as a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
