Israel proposes two-month truce as part of hostage deal

The proposal does not include promises to end the war, but it would involve Israeli troops reducing their presence in major cities in Gaza Strip

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Israel has proposed to Hamas via Qatari and Egyptian mediators a pause in fighting of up to two months as part of a deal to free all the hostages being held in Gaza, the US news site Axios reported on Monday.

The report, citing unnamed Israeli officials, said the deal would take place in multiple stages, the first of which would see the release of women, men over 60 and those in critical medical condition.

Subsequent phases would involve the release of women soldiers, younger civilian men, male soldiers and the bodies of dead hostages.

The officials said the deal would also see the release of an as yet undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel, but not all of them.

The proposal does not include promises to end the war, but it would involve Israeli troops reducing their presence in major cities in Gaza and gradually allowing residents to return to the territory's devastated north.

The officials said the deal was expected to take around two months to implement.