Potential ceasefire agreement sparks hope and fear across the Middle East

Families of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip expressed hope that a potential ceasefire deal could be announced this week.

“I hope that we are closest to a hostage deal since the (ceasefire) deal in January,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a speech Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Euronews that the "onus was on Hamas" to accept the US-backed deal,

Under the agreement, unveiled by Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump last week, Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Anxious relatives of hostages gathered near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, with some urging Trump to apply pressure.

“We cannot allow such a historic agreement to be sacrificed again,” said Michel Ilouz, father of Guy Ilouz, a 26-year-old man who was kidnapped by Maas while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on 7 October.

Udi Goren, cousin of hostage Tal Haimi, addressed Trump in saying that now "is the most crucial moment of them all."

"The proposal is clear: all hostages must be released within the first 72 hours," Goren said in a speech posted on X.

Under the proposed deal, Hamas would also give up power in Gaza and surrender arms. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw soldiers, release Palestinian prisoners and allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

'On the brink"

Palestinians also expressed hope that a ceasefire agreement would be announced. Trump on Friday had ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after he said Hamas accepted some elements of his peace plan.

Despite his order, residents and local hospitals said strikes continued across the territory.

“While certain bombings have actually stopped inside of the Gaza Strip, there’s no ceasefire in place at this point in time,” Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Badrosian told journalists.

She also said Netanyahu is in “regular contact” with Trump and that the prime minister has stressed that the talks in Egypt “will be confined to a few days maximum, with no tolerance for manoeuvres that will delay talks by Hamas.”

At least eight people were killed Sunday in multiple strikes in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties.

“We’re on the brink, and we don’t know whether one will die of a strike or starvation,” said Mahmoud Hashem, a Palestinian father sheltering in a tent in Gaza City.

"What we really hope is that the ceasefire plan can be restored so we can return to a life of normalcy after two years of war. Sadly, today we witnessed multiple casualties once again," a resident of the Gaza Strip said.

Hamas said it has accepted some elements of the plan, whilst Israel announced it supported the new US effort. Both are prepared to hold indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday.

The discussions will focus on the proposed exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Egypt’s foreign ministry said.

If Hamas refuses to accept the deal in its entirety, Netanyahu said, the US will fully back Israel in its efforts to end the war militarily.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the current situation is “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.” But he warned that “there are a lot of opportunities here for whoever wants to sabotage it to do so."