Hamas is offering the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a 135-day ceasefire, complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of well over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The terrorist organization made the offer to Israel on Tuesday, following previous terms sent by Egypt and Qatar last week. The three-phase plan would see the gradual release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel, including those chosen from a Hamas list serving life sentences. This includes 500 people.
Male hostages over the age of 19 will be released after the initial 45-day phase is completed. At the same time, Israeli forces will completely withdraw from Gaza.
Notably, the agreement specifically names UNRWA, with Hamas demanding that the organization retain its role overseeing aid to Gaza. The request came after Israel presented extensive evidence suggesting there are at least 190 Hamas collaborators within the UN group.
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Hamas offered the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a 135-day ceasefire, complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. (NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images)
Israel has previously said it will not allow UNRWA to continue operating in the region.
The deal also calls for a permanent ceasefire to be implemented after the third phase of the deal is completed. However, the Israeli government has made clear that the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed late Tuesday that it had received the offer, but did not respond.
President Biden said in a statement Tuesday that Hamas’ latest hostage exchange proposal was “a little over the top.” (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told reporters in a joint press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he was “optimistic” about the deal. But President Biden said the proposal “goes a little too far.”
“I don’t know where things are going, but we will continue to negotiate,” Biden said Tuesday.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office acknowledged late Tuesday that it had received Hamas’ proposal, but did not respond. (Ahmad Hasabalah/Getty Images)
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Blinken said at a news conference Tuesday that negotiations with Hamas will continue.
“There is still much work to do, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and, indeed, essential,” Blinken said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve that.”
