Hamas demands release of Marwan Barghouti, top terror commanders in ‘final offer’ — report

A Jordanian report claims to detail Hamas’s proffer for a ceasefire deal, which proposes the release of hostages in exchange for high-level Palestinian prisoners one week after a permanent ceasefire goes into effect.

According to the report in A-Rai al-Youm, among the prisoners whose release is demanded by Hamas are top terror convict Marwan Barghouti, in jail for multiple murders; top Hamas bombmaker Abdullah Barghouti; PFLP head Ahmad Sadat; Ibrahim Hamed, the former commander of Hamas’s military wing in the West Bank; and Abbas al-Sayed, a senior Hamas member responsible for planning bombings that killed dozens of Israelis. Israel would also have to release all sick prisoners, anyone over the age of 60 or under 18, and all women, as well as 57 people freed in the Gilad Shalit deal and re-arrested.

Under the deal, no hostages would be released for the first week of the ceasefire, and Israel would agree to carry out a complete withdrawal from Gaza before a second group of hostages was released.

Hamas also demands complete freedom of movement in Gaza and for unfettered aid access.

According to the report, the terror group’s representatives told Egypt that the proposal was nonnegotiable and represented their final position.

Nearly every element is likely a nonstarter for Israel.