“The rejection of the proposal from the three mediators,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement, “which included significantly greater room for flexibility on the Israeli side, proves that Sinwar is not interested in a humanitarian deal and in the return of the hostages, and continues to take advantage of tensions with Iran to try to unite the theaters and to achieve a general escalation in the region.”
“Contrary to reports, the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the hostages is Hamas and not any factor on the Israeli side,” the PMO said.
On Sunday, Hamas presented mediators with a proposal for a three-phase process that requires Israel to end the war in the first phase. Displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return unimpeded to northern Gaza, and the IDF would withdraw from all urban centers in the Strip. No hostages would be freed in those first six weeks. During this phase, Hamas would locate all the hostages and ascertain their condition.
According to the Hamas proposal, no hostages would be released until the second and third phases, each of them also lasting six weeks, in exchange for the release of 700-1,000 Palestinian security prisoners. Hamas is demanding the release of 30 Palestinian security prisoners for each civilian hostage and 50 security prisoners per captive female soldier, of whom 30 would be prisoners serving life sentences.
Captive male soldiers and Israeli men of military age would be released in the final stage in exchange for the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian security prisoners. At this stage, the bodies of those who have died or been killed in captivity and bodies abducted on October 7 would also be returned.
Previous negotiations have called for the release of 40 “humanitarian” hostages — children, women, the elderly and the sick — during the initial six-week phase. An unconfirmed report on Monday evening, on Israel’s Channel 12 news, said Hamas was prepared to free fewer than 20 “humanitarian” hostages. The report said Hamas claims not to hold 40 living “humanitarian” hostages.
The negotiations bring the fate of the hostages into the spotlight. On Oct. 7, in addition to its rampage of murder, atrocities, and rape, Hamas took 253 Israeli hostages into Gaza. As of 14 February 2024, 112 hostages had been returned alive to Israel, with 105 being released in a prisoner exchange deal, four released by Hamas unilaterally and three rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is believed that at least 129 hostages are still in Gaza, but many of them are believed no longer alive. 34 have been confirmed by the IDF to no longer be alive.
The captives remaining in Gaza include 19 women, ten people over the age of 75, and two children. In mid-December, the White House reported that eight Americans, including two IDF soldiers, were still being held captive. Three have since been declared dead, their bodies held by Hamas, including husband and wife Gad Haggai, 73 years old, and Judi Weinstein, 70, and Itay Chen, a 19-year-old Israeli sergeant.
Media reports cited an Israeli official as claiming that Hamas is now only prepared to release 20 “humanitarian” hostages in exchange for hundreds of convicted Palestinian terrorists.
According to a source within Hamas, the reason for the revision of the number of “humanitarian” hostages is that there may not be more than 20 alive.
Also, other terrorist groups in Gaza may be holding many of the hostages.In October, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to be holding more than 30 Israelis hostage.
Israel’s counteroffer required that Hamas fill out the initial release with younger male hostages, including soldiers.
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