In exchange for 40 Israeli hostages, Hamas is now demanding 120 Palestinian inmates.
In its hostage discussions with Israel, Hamas has dropped its demand for multiple months of cease-fires after Israeli officials dismissed the idea as “totally off base” on Tuesday.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Hamas negotiators sought numerous cease-fires, ending in the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza in exchange for the remaining Israeli hostages. The terrorist organization has now stated that it is willing to exchange 120 Palestinian inmates detained in Israel for 40 of the hostages.
“The five-way talks between Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel, and Hamas are still ongoing,” a source close to the negotiations told Arab World News.
According to the source, Hamas also wanted a one-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of each hostage, which Israel apparently denied.
“The proposal we received from Hamas on Sunday was completely off the mark, so we asked the mediators to try to come up with a more acceptable proposal.” “They’re working on it, and we’ll see what happens,” said an Israeli official to Axios.
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The talks came after Israel announced a partial army withdrawal from Gaza. According to military authorities, the war has reached a new phase that requires more targeted assaults against Hamas fighters and less mass air strikes and artillery barrages.
This shift is in accordance with President Biden’s administration and Israel’s other Western friends, who have frequently raised concerns about the situation.
Israeli officials believe there are about 133 hostages still alive in Gaza, while the US has warned that it is impossible to know how many of them are still alive.
Despite the change in approach this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he expects the conflict to last “many more months.”
