The outgoing United Nations representative to the Middle East has proposed a three-to-five year truce in the Gaza Strip in order to enable the rehabilitation of territory following the summer's 50-day war.

Robert Serry raised the proposal to the Hamas leadership in Gaza last Monday, during his final visit to the territory. Serry is winding up his seven-year term as UN special coordinator for Middle East peace, and will be replaced by former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov.

"The rehabilitation of Gaza will take years and for that we need time and a commitment from all concerned parties for a long-term 'reconstruction hudna,' to which all Palestinian factions should be committed," he said.

At the end of the visit, Serry issued a statement to the press which received minimal attention in Israel because it was eclipsed by media coverage of the election campaign and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress. A senior Israeli official said Israel was familiar with the proposal, but that it had not been officially presented to Israel.

"The rehabilitation of Gaza will take years and for that we need time and a commitment from all concerned parties for a long-term 'reconstruction hudna,' to which all Palestinian factions should be committed," Serry said in his statement to the press.

Open gallery view Palestinian policewomen loyal to Hamas patrol at Shatti refugee camp in Gaza City on March 5, 2015. Credit: Reuters

"During my visit, I have been urging my counterparts in Gaza to commit themselves to what will be needed from their side – a multi-year freeze to military activities above and below ground." This proposal would essentially mean that Hamas cease firing at Israel and freeze its activities digging and reconstructing tunnels.

Serry said that Hamas did not rule out the proposal, but laid down its own conditions – including the lifting of the Israel and Egyptian blockade.

"I have received indications that they are willing to consider this, provided the other parties respond in further opening crossings to enable Gaza's full and accelerated recovery and reconstruction," Serry said in his statement.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Monday that the group had yet to respond to the proposal because "a decision like this requires a national Palestinian agreement." Hamas sources told Haaretz that the proposal had been raised in the past by various officials.

Serry's deputy, James Rawley, mentioned the idea of a multi-year truce to enable rehabilitation at a press conference last month in Ramallah.

Walla reporter Avi Issacharoff reported that it was in fact Hamas, and not the UN, that initiated the proposal. According to Issacharoff, Hamas raised the proposal at a meeting with Serry and the Swiss Consul General to the Palestinian Authority. Serry and Garnier are the only two diplomats that hold direct contact with Hamas.

After the conflict this summer, Serry mediated negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials that established a tripartite rehabilitation plan for Gaza that includes bringing construction material into Gaza under UN supervision.

The building materials were allocated to 72,000 of the estimated 100,000 families whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the fighting. But because of the difficult economic situation in Gaza and stalled financial assistance from Arab countries, many families are unable to buy the building materials and rebuild their homes.

The internal tensions between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have also delayed the rehabilitation of Gaza, and made the process more difficult.

On his last visit to Gaza last week, Serry criticized Hamas and the PA for the difficulties in reconstruction caused by the conflict between Hamas and the PA.

The United Nations welcomed the Hamas-Fatah unity government that took office last year, said Serry, adding that six months after the fighting in Gaza ended, "I am deeply concerned that not enough progress is being made to address Gaza's underlying issues."