US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal for Gaza is currently on the table, offering a potential path to end the ongoing conflict. He urged Hamas to accept the proposal.

The plan includes the release of half of the surviving hostages and half of those who have died, in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. This ceasefire would then pave the way for negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the war.

Witkoff did not specify the duration of the temporary truce, a key point in the ongoing discussions.

“Israel is willing to agree to a temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange that would see half of the living and half of the deceased returned, leading to substantive talks toward a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to oversee,” Witkoff said. “That offer remains on the table, and Hamas should take it.”

He noted that Hamas has not yet accepted the deal.

Witkoff’s statement marks the first time he has publicly committed to overseeing negotiations for a lasting peace during the proposed ceasefire.

Hamas has previously insisted on assurances that Israel would seriously negotiate a war-ending agreement if a temporary ceasefire were established, after Israel declined to do so during prior truces. Witkoff’s role in the process appears intended to assure Hamas that Washington will push for genuine negotiations.

Earlier Monday, Reuters reported that Hamas agreed to a separate proposal involving the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day truce. Witkoff dismissed this report, calling it “completely unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations said that Hamas has accepted Witkoff’s proposal but did not provide further details.

The Israeli government has not yet issued a comment on the matter.