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Monday, May 26, 2025
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Monday, May 26, 2025
Palestinian official: Hamas open to phased deal, but would free all hostages at once if war ends
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A Palestinian official familiar with the hostage negotiations tells The Times of Israel that while Hamas is prepared to accept an interim ceasefire deal that leads to a permanent ceasefire, it remains willing to release all of the remaining hostages at once if Israel agrees upfront to end the war.
“All of this talk about the phases is because of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” the Palestinian official says.
Hamas is “prepared to return all of the hostages now if [Netanyahu] agrees to end the war,” the official adds.
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