Hamas Proposes 5-Year Ceasefire Plan Rejected by Netanyahu Amid Gaza Famine
Hamas presents a comprehensive, internationally guaranteed truce initiative; Israel insists on continuing the war, deepening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
Watan-On Friday, Hamas announced it had submitted a proposal for a comprehensive and simultaneous ceasefire lasting five years, backed by regional and international guarantees—a plan that was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The statement came through a video briefing by Hamas official Abdul Rahman Shadid, published by the movement.
A Comprehensive and Simultaneous Agreement
Shadid stated:”On April 17, as part of mediation efforts, we presented a clear and responsible vision for a full and simultaneous agreement. It includes a permanent end to aggression, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, lifting the blockade, allowing entry of aid and relief, and initiating reconstruction.”
He added that the proposal includes a comprehensive prisoner exchange that would see all Israeli captives released at once in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. It also proposes a five-year ceasefire, guaranteed internationally and regionally, and the formation of an independent committee to govern Gaza.
The suggested governing body would consist of independent technocrats with full authority and duties, based on the Egyptian “community support committee” proposal—ensuring non-political administration and stability for the people during this critical period.
Netanyahu’s Rejection
Shadid explained that Netanyahu’s far-right government rejected the initiative, insisting on fragmenting the issues and refusing to commit to ending the war. He accused the Israeli leadership of clinging to policies of killing, starvation, and destruction—even at the expense of its own soldiers held captive in Gaza.
He added:”This stance proves that Netanyahu gives no value to his soldiers’ lives, instead exploiting their suffering for political gain—blatantly disregarding human values and the pain of their families.”
Hamas, Shadid said, informed mediators it is dealing responsibly with any idea that secures a permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal from Gaza, and a just prisoner swap.
He held the U.S. and its allies responsible for enabling Israel’s “massacres, genocide, and starvation policies.”
Mediators and Hostage Estimates
Egypt and Qatar are actively mediating between Hamas and Israel, seeking to reach a ceasefire and exchange of captives. Israel estimates that 59 of its citizens are held in Gaza—24 of them alive—while over 9,900 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect that has led to several deaths, according to rights groups.
Gaza on the Brink of Famine
On the famine, Shadid said:”Gaza faces one of the worst modern humanitarian disasters, with severe malnutrition, especially among children and infants, due to the blockade that prevents food, medicine, and aid from entering.”
He added:”Israel has turned Gaza into a massive prison where life dies from hunger and disease. It’s a slow, cold-blooded genocide met with global silence.”
He accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, violating international law, while the UN and global bodies issue hollow condemnations.
Over 1 million children are reportedly hungry in Gaza, with 65,000 suffering from acute malnutrition. Hospitals are collapsing, diseases are spreading, and aid is being used as political blackmail. Children are dying not only from bombs—but from lack of milk.
Despite international pleas, Israel continues to block urgent humanitarian convoys stuck for weeks at the Rafah crossing—enacting what Shadid described as “deliberate slow murder of an entire population.”
Ceasefire Collapse and Border Closures
The first phase of a Hamas-Israel ceasefire and prisoner exchange began on January 19, 2025, but collapsed when Israel resumed its military operations on March 18. Since March 2, Israel has fully closed Gaza’s crossings, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.
Gaza’s 2.4 million residents now depend entirely on aid, having been reduced to extreme poverty by the war, according to World Bank data. More than 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced—many multiple times—sheltering in overcrowded camps or in the open, fueling disease outbreaks.
Ongoing Resistance and West Bank Escalation
Shadid said:”The resistance has turned the battlefield into a prolonged war of attrition while keeping initiative in its hands. Gaza is not easy prey—it is a symbol of dignity and deterrence.”
In the West Bank and Jerusalem, he noted, Israeli forces continue daily raids, house demolitions, and forced displacement, notably in Jenin, Tulkarm, and the Nur Shams camp.
He condemned the systematic killings, arrests, and settler violence, which he said are backed by a fascist government applying scorched-earth policies in an attempt to crush Palestinian will.
Shadid also warned about the increasing Israeli incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, with protected settler stormings aiming to divide the sacred site temporally and spatially.
Call for Arab and International Action
Shadid urged Arab and Islamic governments to rise to their responsibilities and act against the ongoing massacre and imposed famine on over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
He demanded enforcement of summit resolutions, opening crossings for aid, ending normalization with Israel, cutting political ties, and expelling Israeli ambassadors.
He also called for using economic and trade relations as leverage against nations arming and shielding Israel.
Finally, he appealed to the UN, international organizations, and the International Court of Justice to pressure Israel into reopening Gaza’s borders unconditionally and allowing food, water, and medicine to reach civilians—specifically aid trucks stalled at the Rafah crossing.
Casualty Toll and Continuing Attacks
Alongside the Gaza genocide, Israeli forces and settlers have escalated attacks in the West Bank, killing over 960 Palestinians, injuring around 7,000, and arresting 16,400, according to Palestinian sources.
Since October 7, 2023—with full U.S. support—Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed or wounded over 170,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing.
