Israel has submitted a new ceasefire proposal in the ongoing indirect negotiations with Hamas over the conflict in Gaza, even as reports surface that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has privately assured far-right allies the war will resume once the temporary truce ends.
According to The Times of Israel, Israeli negotiators presented the revised plan during talks held in Doha, Qatar, where Egypt and the United States are also playing mediating roles. The discussions, which began on July 6, have reached a standstill, with both sides blaming each other for the impasse.
Key Sticking Point: Israeli Military Withdrawal
The main issue remains the extent of the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza, particularly in the southern region. Hamas demands a full pullback to positions held before the previous ceasefire collapsed in March. In contrast, Israel had until recently insisted on maintaining a strong military presence, including control of a three-kilometre-wide “neutral” zone along the Egyptian border and the so-called Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis.
Palestinian woman Ibtehal Abu Shamala mourns over the body of her daughter Alees, who was killed in morning Israeli strikes on tents sheltering displaced people, according to medics, during her funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Under the newly proposed terms, Israel would limit its presence to a reduced two-kilometre-wide “neutral” zone near Rafah. However, Arab diplomatic sources cited by the Times of Israel suggest that it remains uncertain whether this offer will satisfy Hamas or advance negotiations meaningfully.
Netanyahu’s Promise to Resume Hostilities
Complicating the picture further, The Times of Israel reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged to far-right Economy Minister Bezalel Smotrich that the conflict will resume after a planned 60-day ceasefire period. The reported assurance appears to be a political move to preserve his fragile governing coalition.
Israeli Minister of Finance and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich arrives to attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem March 5, 2023. Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via REUTERS
Controversial Humanitarian Plan
The new ceasefire proposal is linked to a separate Israeli government initiative to construct what it calls a “humanitarian city” in Gaza. The stated aim of the plan is to facilitate the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents to third countries.
Critics, however, have harshly condemned the idea. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the proposed enclave as a modern-day “concentration camp” in remarks to The Guardian, and characterized it as part of a broader agenda of “ethnic cleansing.”
International Reactions
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres again condemned the ongoing violence, stating from New York: “We all condemned the horrific attacks by Hamas, but what we are witnessing in Gaza is a level of death and destruction unseen in recent years.”
