Egypt makes new truce offer as Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 65

Egypt on Monday put forward a new proposal aimed at restoring the Gaza ceasefire deal, as Palestinian health authorities said Israeli strikes have killed at least 65 people in the enclave in the past 24 hours.

The truce, made last week, comes in the wake of an escalation in violence after Israel resumed air and ground operations against Hamas last Tuesday, effectively ending a two-month period of relative calm.

Health officials said Israel has killed nearly 700 Palestinians since it resumed its attacks, including at least 400 women and children while Islamist group Hamas said several of its senior political and security officials had also been killed.

The Egyptian plan calls for Hamas to release five Israeli hostages each week, with Israel implementing the second phase of the ceasefire after the first week, two security sources said.

Hamas is said to be still holding 59 hostages, with 24 of them thought to be still alive.

According to sources, the Egyptian proposal also includes a timeline for Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, backed by US guarantees, in exchange for the hostages' release.

Hamas has accused Israel of breaking the terms of the January ceasefire agreement but has said it is willing to negotiate a truce and was studying proposals from US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Israel said it resumed its military operations to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza, stressing that it does its best to reduce harm to civilians and has questioned the death toll provided by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.

Palestinian officials on Sunday put the death toll from nearly 18 months of conflict at over 50,000.

According to Israeli tallies, Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 hostages.