Hamas official says group open to freeing all hostages for five-year truce in Gaza
Hamas delegation in Cairo for fresh talks with mediators, days after it rejected a ‘partial’ Israeli deal that would have seen 10 living hostages freed
Hamas is open to an agreement to end the Gaza war that would include the one-time release of all remaining hostages and a five-year cessation of hostilities, an official from the terror group said Saturday.
“Hamas is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, as a delegation from his group was set to meet mediators in Cairo later in the day.
On April 17, Hamas, which opposes a “partial” ceasefire agreement, rejected an Israeli proposal that included a 45-day truce in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.
The group has consistently demanded that a truce agreement must lead to the end of the war set off by their October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a prisoner exchange, and the immediate and sufficient entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
On Friday, the terror group said that while it was willing to discuss new ideas, disarming Hamas was not on the table.
Talks since Israel resumed its air and ground assault against Hamas on March 18, after an earlier two-month ceasefire broke down, have not produced a breakthrough.
Qatar, the United States and Egypt brokered one truce, which began on January 19 and enabled a surge in aid, alongside the releases of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
But it collapsed amid disagreements over the terms of the next stage.
Hamas had insisted that negotiations be held leading to a permanent end to the war, as outlined in the January framework announced by former US president Joe Biden, which the Trump administration pushed Israel to accept.
Israel, however, sought to extend the terms of the first phase, with the government rejecting any agreement for the release of hostages that includes ending the war while Hamas remains a force in Gaza.
The visit of the Hamas delegation to Cairo comes after Mossad head David Barnea traveled on Thursday to Qatar, an Israeli source told The Times of Israel, possibly marking the spy chief’s return to the hostage negotiating table after being demoted from the role two months ago.
According to Walla, Barnea was to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani there to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a hostage deal in Gaza.
While the Gulf state was often considered the primary mediator between Israel and the terror group Hamas, Egypt has recently taken the lead in negotiations, The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel Community.