Senior Israeli officials said Wednesday that the American-Egyptian proposal currently on the table allows for a nearly unrestricted and extensive return of Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip - and in return, hostages would be released, and then Israel can continue the war.
"Hamas would probably agree to the proposal - but Yahya Sinwar will reject it because he demands to end the war," the officials said. "If Sinwar says yes - Israel will have to consider whether it's right to allow such unrestricted return to the northern areas. For now this is just talk."
The Israeli cabinet discussed the various scenarios, implications, and the boundaries of the decision and how Israel would have to prepare if Sinwar agrees to the deal. "Israel is expecting the answer to be negative because Hamas demands an absolute end to the war," sources said.
According to reports, the proposal crafted at the summit with the head of the CIA in Cairo also includes increasing humanitarian aid and the release of hundreds of convicted terrorists from Israeli prisons. In total, in the first stage, 900 Palestinian terrorists would be released in exchange for 40 Israeli hostages. In a worrying development, Hamas has recently begun to claim that it doesn't know if it can locate the 40 Israeli captives.
The second stage of the cease-fire agreement that was proposed, according to reports, involves releasing all hostages and finalizing negotiations for a permanent ceasefire - a move Israel currently opposes, while Hamas demands it. According to the Qatari owned Al Jazeera network, the proposal doesn't specify the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in the second stage, nor does it include a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.