Hamas sources said to oppose extension of ceasefire’s first stage

28 February 2025, 3:24 pm

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Palestinians live among the rubble of their homes which were destroyed in the war between Israel and Hamas, in the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 23, 2025. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Hamas sources quoted by Haaretz contend that if the terror group were to agree to extend the first phase by continuing to free batches of hostages, it would be losing the only major leverage it currently has.

“If there isn’t a clear deadline for the end of the war and a full [IDF] withdrawal, the release of all the hostages can’t be expected,” an unnamed source is quoted as saying.

The sources float a potential compromise that would see the return of sick or slain captives in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners serving lengthy jail terms, alongside improvement in the inmates’ conditions and more aid entering Gaza.