War on Gaza | Israel offers 2-month pause in war with Hamas: report

Israel has reportedly proposed a two-month pause in the fighting against Hamas in Gaza. According to Axios, The deal being pursued through Qatari and Egyptian mediators is aimed at securing release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza.

On January 22, dozens of family members of hostages stormed Israel's parliament, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go for a prisoner swap.

In the last truce, more than 100 hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for about 250 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons.

Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until “complete victory” over Hamas and to return all remaining hostages after the Oct 7 rampage in southern Israel that triggered the war. In that attack, some 1,200 people were killed and Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 people.

But more than three months into the war, Israelis are increasingly divided on the question of whether it's possible to do both.

Hamas has said it will free more captives only in exchange for an end to the war and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has ruled out such an agreement.

(With AP inputs)

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