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By James Mackenzie
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has proposed an extended truce in Gaza in exchange for the return of about half the remaining hostages, Israeli officials said on Monday, as the military issued new evacuation orders and said "intense operations" were planned in the south of the enclave.
The latest proposals would leave open a final agreement over ending the Israel-Hamas war that has destroyed wide swathes of Gaza, killed tens of thousands of people and displaced almost the entire population since it began in October 2023.
But the proposals foresee the return of half the 24 hostages believed still to be alive in Gaza nearly 18 months after they were seized by Hamas-led gunmen - and about half the 35 assumed to be dead - during a truce lasting between 40 and 50 days, said the Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would step up pressure on Hamas but would continue negotiations "under fire". Continued military pressure was the best means of securing the return of the hostages, he said.
Netanyahu also repeated Israeli demands for Hamas to disarm although the Palestinian militant movement has rejected such calls as a "red line" it will not cross.
Netanyahu said Hamas leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza under a wider settlement that would include proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump for the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from the narrow Strip.
EVACUATION ORDERS
On Monday, the Israeli military told Palestinians living in areas around the southern city of Rafah to relocate to Al Mawasi, an area on the shoreline.
"The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas," the military's Arabic language spokesperson said in a statement.
Hamas said at the weekend that it had accepted proposals made by Qatari and Egyptian mediators which security sources said would entail five hostages being released every week in exchange for a truce.
The Israeli military, which has cut off aid to Gaza, resumed operations on March 18 after a two-month truce, during which 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais were released in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Efforts to move to a second phase in the ceasefire agreement signed with U.S. backing in January have largely stalled, with no sign of movement to overcome fundamental differences between the two sides over the postwar future.
Israel has said Hamas' military and government capacity must be entirely dismantled and says the group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, can have no role in the future governance of the enclave.
Hamas says it is willing to step back to allow another Palestinian administration to take its place but has refused to disarm and says it must play a part in choosing whatever government follows.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza following an attack by Hamas-led gunmen on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The military campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities.
(Reporting by James Mackenzie, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
