Hamas open to hostage-taking and resolution of Gaza war without ceasefire – Firstpost

July 7, 2024

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A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that Palestinian militants were ready to negotiate a hostage deal and an end to the Gaza war without a “complete and lasting ceasefire.”

The apparent easing of tensions in Hamas’ position comes against the backdrop of renewed mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar and Egypt aimed at getting the two rivals to talk to end the nine-month war and reach an agreement on the release of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held by Israel.

“Hamas had previously demanded that Israel agree to a complete and permanent ceasefire,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“This step was avoided because the mediators promised that the ceasefire would remain in place as long as negotiations over the prisoners continued,” he added.

According to official sources, Israel had previously firmly resisted Hamas’s demands for a permanent ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the destruction of Hamas and the release of all hostages to be the central goal of the Israeli military campaign launched after the October 7 attacks.

US President Joe Biden on May 31 outlined a plan he said was proposed by Israel and promised “a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”

An Israeli negotiator traveled to Doha on Friday to speak with the mediators. Israel said there were still “gaps” in Hamas’ counter-proposals, but the negotiator would return to Doha this week.

An official familiar with the negotiations said U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William Burns will also travel to Qatar this week.

The Hamas official said Egypt and Turkey would also step up their efforts to reach an agreement in the coming days.

If comprehensive negotiations begin, Hamas expects them to last between two and three weeks, according to the official.

Biden said Israel’s plan initially calls for a six-week ceasefire that would include an Israeli withdrawal from populated areas of the Gaza Strip and an initial release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for some hostages captured on Oct. 7.

The Hamas official said that in the event of a ceasefire, up to 400 trucks of humanitarian aid would be delivered to the besieged Palestinian territory every day.

The war began with Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP news agency count based on Israeli figures.

According to Israel, Hamas also captured 251 hostages. Of the 116 hostages still in the Gaza Strip, 42 are dead, according to the Israeli army.

According to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, at least 38,153 people, again mostly civilians, were killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive.