Hamas officials on Thursday stated that no hostages would be released without a permanent ceasefire deal, as Israeli forces intensified attacks in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon.
The development comes amid speculation that Israeli authorities are seeking to maximise their control over the occupied enclave, which has been devastated by the ongoing war since 2023.
Previously, Israel had rejected a peace proposal initiated by mediators Egypt and Qatar, as negotiations stalled with both sides refusing to agree on key clauses.
Both Israeli citizens and Gazans have staged protests against the renewed fighting, with demonstrators accusing Israel and Hamas of pushing the enclave further into ruin.
Families of hostages and protesters have blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas since the deadly October 7 attack.
Reports now claim that “Hamas has decided not to follow up on the latest Israeli proposal presented through the mediators,” one Hamas official said.
The original proposal tabled by mediators called for Hamas to release five captives over 50 days in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners—including 150 serving life sentences—as well as 2,000 detainees from Gaza.
The proposal also included the immediate start of negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israel, however, countered with a request that 10 captives be released on the first day of a 40-day truce, in exchange for 120 Palestinians sentenced to life and 1,111 Palestinian detainees from Gaza.
Israeli negotiators have also refused to withdraw from Gaza and have insisted on Hamas’s disarmament as a condition for further negotiations—an ultimatum that both Hamas and mediators view as an unrealistic demand and a sign of Israel’s lack of seriousness in the talks.
Follow us
