Israel Offers Deeper Gaza Pullback in Bid for Cease-Fire Deal

Israeli negotiators have delivered revised deployment maps that further scale back Israel Defense Forces positions in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli officials cited by Axios and other regional outlets. The new proposal is part of the ongoing talks aimed at securing a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas. Under the updated plan, Israeli troops would withdraw from most of southern Gaza, retaining a presence only in a zone less than two kilometres wide north of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza–Egypt border. Officials said the change represents an additional concession intended to accelerate negotiations over a sustained halt in fighting.