NEW YORK, December 20. /TASS/. Israel has offered Hamas to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip for one week as part of a new deal to release more than 30 hostages the Palestinian radical movement is holding in the enclave, Axios reported, citing sources.

According to them, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, discussed the latest Israeli initiative to resume peace talks in Warsaw on Monday with CIA chief William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Barnea presented a proposal to secure the release of a group of roughly 40 hostages that would include men over the age of 60 and other hostages who are in need of urgent medical care. In exchange for their release, Israel could be ready to pause the fighting for at least a week or it also might release several Palestinian prisoners, convicted of more serious crimes than those who were released under the previous deal, sources told Axios.

The news portal said this was the first proposal Israel has offered since December 1, when the Israel Defense Force accused Hamas of breaching the rules of a ceasefire and resumed fighting in Gaza. At the meeting in Warsaw, Qatar conveyed Hamas' message that Israel had to stop its attacks before any talks on releasing hostages could begin. In response, Barnea said that Hamas should lay down arms and turn in its leaders, Axios said. According to the source, while Qatar is making efforts to relaunch the negotiations, Israel’s demands complicate the situation.

On December 19, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that his country was ready for another humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip and an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid for the enclave’s population to ensure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli leader also noted that responsibility lies entirely with the Hamas leadership.

Hamas announced on November 22 that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had been reached through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt. The Gaza ceasefire took effect on November 24. The agreement stipulated the release of Israeli women and children who are being held in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. The sides extended the truce several times until the IDF said on the morning of December 1 that Hamas had violated the truce in Gaza and opened fire at Israeli territory, thus prompting the IDF to resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip.

On December 5, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, warned that the radical movement will not release any hostages it is still holding until Israel stops its aggression in the Gaza Strip.