Two Israeli officials revealed, on Saturday, that the latest Israeli proposal to conclude a deal with Hamas includes a willingness to discuss “restoring sustainable calm” in Gaza after the initial release of prisoners for humanitarian reasons, according to the American website “Axios”.

The issue of a permanent cessation of war, in addition to other provisions, was one of the most prominent obstacles to reaching an agreement between Hamas and Israel during many previous negotiating rounds.

A delegation of Egyptian intelligence officials arrived in Israel on Friday and held talks with representatives of the Shin Bet, the Israeli occupation army, and the Mossad about the prisoner deal and the possible Israeli military operation in Rafah.

The talks ended with the presentation of the new Israeli proposal. The Hamas movement said yesterday, Saturday, that it had received the proposal and would “study it” and deliver its response upon completion.

Axios quoted two Israeli officials as saying, “The new proposal was drafted jointly by the Egyptian intelligence delegation and the Israeli negotiating team, taking into account the positions put forward by Hamas so far and what Israel and Egypt believe the movement may agree to in the deal.”

The two officials added that the new Israeli proposal “includes a response to many of Hamas’ demands, such as readiness for the full return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the corridor that divides the Strip and prevents freedom of movement.”

The proposal also includes a willingness to discuss a sustainable ceasefire as part of the implementation of the second phase of the deal, which will take place after “the hostages are released for humanitarian reasons,” according to officials.

An Israeli official told the website: “We hope that what we have proposed will be enough to bring Hamas into serious negotiations. We hope that Hamas will see that we are serious about reaching an agreement. We are serious,” adding: “They must understand that it is possible, if the first phase is implemented, to advance to "The next stages and reaching the end of the war."

The official indicated to the American website that Israel believes that Hamas considers the threat of an Israeli operation in Rafah to be real, and that this may help the two sides reach an agreement.

The Hamas movement rejected the previous Israeli proposal, and stressed its adherence to its demands of a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, the intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the beginning of the reconstruction of the Strip, indicating its readiness to conclude a “serious” exchange deal for the prisoners between the two parties.

While the previous proposal included the release of 40 detainees in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of about 900 Palestinian prisoners, Israeli officials told the site, “The War Council allowed the Israeli negotiating team for the first time this week to discuss the release of less than 40 hostages,” with Linking the number of days of the ceasefire to the number of detainees who will be released, at one day for each detainee.

The officials indicated that they "hope that this will lead to the opening of intensive negotiations on the details, especially the number of hostages who will be released in the humanitarian and transitional phases and the number of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for that," according to the website.