Hamas is willing to release the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza on the state that Israel agrees to a lasting peace, according to Palestinian leaders speaking to the Times of Israel.
The news comes amid Israel’s increase of its defense businesses across the Strip. A senior Palestinian official told the outlet that the party, through its intermediaries, conveyed its eagerness to free all victims, provided that Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza entirely.
Yet, It still remains unclear whether the plan will get any approval as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently ruled out any agreement that does not include Hamas ‘ complete defeat, including disarmament and its total removal from Gaza.
While Hamas continues insisting both sides to adhere to the classic US-brokered peace model from January, the team appears to have tempered its position, then recognising that a permanent ceasefire may not be immediately possible..
” We had no other alternative. The position in Gaza is terrible”, one standard said, highlighting the severe humanitarian burden.
Israeli members added that Hamas may also be available to phased produces in exchange for short-term treaties. In a new proposal presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas agreed to transfer five victims in return for a momentary peace. The offer was rejected by Israel which demanded the transfer of 11 living victims and the transfer of the body of 16 dying 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.
