Hamas is willing to release the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza on the condition that Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire, according to Palestinian officials speaking to the Times of Israel.
The announcement comes amid Israel’s intensification of its military operations across the Strip. A senior Palestinian official told the outlet that the group, through its mediators, conveyed its readiness to free all captives, provided that Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza completely.
However, It still remains unclear whether the proposal will gain any acceptance as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently ruled out any agreement that does not include Hamas’ total defeat, including disarmament and its full removal from Gaza.
While Hamas continues insisting both sides to adhere to the original US-brokered ceasefire framework from January, the group appears to have tempered its stance, now recognising that a permanent truce may not be immediately possible..
“We had no other choice. The situation in Gaza is terrible,” one official said, highlighting the dire humanitarian toll.
Palestinian representatives added that Hamas may also be open to phased releases in exchange for short-term truces. In a recent proposal presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas agreed to release five hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire. The deal was rejected by Israel which demanded the release of 11 living captives and the return of the bodies of 16 deceased individuals, New York Post reported.
Hamas negotiators have not responded to the Israeli counter-proposal and deemed the demands unacceptable. The group insists that any path to a full hostage release must involve Israel eventually agreeing to talks around a permanent ceasefire. They maintain that disarmament is off the table as long as Palestinian statehood remains unrecognised.
For now, peace talks are “at a standstill,” Palestinian officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Israel defense forces are executing a plan to isolate the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, further segmenting the territory into three areas. The IDF already controls the northern border and seeks to occupy roughly 25 per cent of the Gaza Strip in its latest push.
The humanitarian crisis continues to escalate with more than 50,000 people having died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. Aid and food supplies remain heavily restricted under the ongoing blockade.
Inside Israel, Netanyahu is also under growing domestic pressure. Families of the remaining hostages, believed to include just 24 living individuals such as Israeli-American Edan Alexander, are staging protests, accusing the government of prioritising political objectives over the safe return of their loved ones.
The announcement comes amid Israel’s intensification of its military operations across the Strip. A senior Palestinian official told the outlet that the group, through its mediators, conveyed its readiness to free all captives, provided that Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza completely.
However, It still remains unclear whether the proposal will gain any acceptance as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently ruled out any agreement that does not include Hamas’ total defeat, including disarmament and its full removal from Gaza.
While Hamas continues insisting both sides to adhere to the original US-brokered ceasefire framework from January, the group appears to have tempered its stance, now recognising that a permanent truce may not be immediately possible..
“We had no other choice. The situation in Gaza is terrible,” one official said, highlighting the dire humanitarian toll.
Palestinian representatives added that Hamas may also be open to phased releases in exchange for short-term truces. In a recent proposal presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas agreed to release five hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire. The deal was rejected by Israel which demanded the release of 11 living captives and the return of the bodies of 16 deceased individuals, New York Post reported.
Hamas negotiators have not responded to the Israeli counter-proposal and deemed the demands unacceptable. The group insists that any path to a full hostage release must involve Israel eventually agreeing to talks around a permanent ceasefire. They maintain that disarmament is off the table as long as Palestinian statehood remains unrecognised.
For now, peace talks are “at a standstill,” Palestinian officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Israel defense forces are executing a plan to isolate the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, further segmenting the territory into three areas. The IDF already controls the northern border and seeks to occupy roughly 25 per cent of the Gaza Strip in its latest push.
The humanitarian crisis continues to escalate with more than 50,000 people having died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. Aid and food supplies remain heavily restricted under the ongoing blockade.
Inside Israel, Netanyahu is also under growing domestic pressure. Families of the remaining hostages, believed to include just 24 living individuals such as Israeli-American Edan Alexander, are staging protests, accusing the government of prioritising political objectives over the safe return of their loved ones.
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