Netanyahu confirms Israel weighing ceasefire, broader Gaza war exit plan

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 18 (ANI/TPS): Signalling a notable shift, Israeli negotiators in Qatar are exploring both a short-term ceasefire proposal and a broader agreement to end the Gaza conflict entirely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday.

"Under the prime minister's direction, even at this hour, the negotiating team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal whether according to the Witkoff outline or within the framework of ending the war, which would include the release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip," the Netanyahu's office said.

The reference to the "Witkoff outline" points to a proposal attributed to US special envoy Steve Witkoff. It reportedly envisions a phased approach beginning with a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, followed by reciprocal measures such as the release of Palestinian security prisoners and continued talks aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire. Until now, Netanyahu has rejected any permanent ceasefire that does not dismantle Hamas's military and governing capabilities. His previous stance only allowed for a limited pause of about 45 days, contingent on the release of around 10 hostages.

Netanyahu's office reaffirmed that any final agreement must meet Israel's long-standing war aims: "The release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip." The statement also credited Netanyahu's combined strategy of "military and diplomatic pressure" for having already secured the return of 197 hostages. "The government is doing everything possible to return the 58 remaining captives," it added.

Agreement within the governing coalition was not unanimous. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected the notion of a framework for ending the war that does not result in Hamas's defeat. "A framework to end the war without defeating Hamas - will not arise and will not happen," he wrote on social media platform X.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday that Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas' highest commander and brother of the terror group's late leader, Yahya Sinwar, was likely killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis on Wednesday. Although the Israel Defense Forces has not confirmed Sinwar's death, "all indications" point that way, Katz told the committee.

According to an unconfirmed report in Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya paper, the bodies of Sinwar and 10 of his aides have been found in a tunnel in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Sinwar is believed to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas command center under the European Hospital.

Sinwar, a longtime Hamas operative, rose to the top of Hamas following the death of Muhammad Deif in a July airstrike and his older brother Yahya, who was killed during a chance encounter with soldiers in October.

Mohammed Sinwar is described as a staunch opponent of a negotiated end to the war and the release of hostages. He is also firmly in the terror group's pro-Iran camp. In the 1990s, he was jailed by Israel for nine months and later imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority for three years before escaping in 2000. In 2006, Sinwar was involved in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and later commanded Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 58 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)

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