JERUSALEM, Aug 20 — In a fragile moment of possibility, hope flickered again for families caught in the storm of war. Hamas has accepted a new truce proposal. But for Israel, one condition remains non-negotiable: every hostage must come home.
A senior Israeli official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Israel’s position hasn’t changed. Despite the encouraging signals from Hamas, the government insists that any deal must include the full release of hostages still held in Gaza.
Mediators, including Qatar and Egypt with U.S. backing, are now waiting. As Qatar cautiously welcomed Hamas’s acceptance, calling it “almost identical” to a version Israel had previously agreed to, the world waits for Israel’s official reply.
While the political gears turn, the human cost deepens.
Hamas’s surprising move toward the proposal came amid intense pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Just days ago, tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets, demanding action—pleading for the return of loved ones and an end to the suffering. Many fear Netanyahu may reject this latest chance for peace, just as he has in the past.
The proposed deal outlines a 60-day truce, exchange of hostages and prisoners, and humanitarian aid access—a potential lifeline for those on both sides. But as Netanyahu has stated, Israel would only accept a deal if all hostages are freed at once.
In Gaza, that hope is hard to hold onto.
Civil defence teams reported 48 lives lost on Tuesday alone from airstrikes, including in the battered Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods. Mahmud Bassal, a local official, described the scenes as “very dangerous and unbearable.” Meanwhile, Israel’s military presses forward, preparing to push deeper into Gaza City.
And yet, amid the rubble and ruin, resilience lives.
At the edge of Gaza, a young woman named Shawg Al-Badri clutched a sack of flour after walking for hours. “This bag is worth the whole world,” she said—her voice a painful reminder of just how far the basics of survival have fallen out of reach.
Since Hamas’s attack in October 2023 that killed 1,219 people in Israel, the war has claimed over 62,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza health ministry. Most were civilians. Behind every number is a name, a story, a family still waiting for peace.
This conflict is no longer about lines on a map—it’s about lives. And as both sides stand on the edge of another crucial decision, the question echoes louder than ever: How many more must suffer before peace is chosen?
