CAIRO: Hamas has indicated its willingness to agree to a comprehensive deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in a single exchange and a five-year cessation of hostilities with Israel, a senior Hamas official said on Saturday.
“Hamas is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The statement came as a Hamas delegation prepared to meet with Egyptian mediators in Cairo to discuss the next phase of ceasefire negotiations.
The group’s latest position marks a notable shift, as it has previously rejected partial or short-term deals. Just days earlier, Hamas turned down an Israeli proposal offering a 45-day truce in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages. Hamas has repeatedly insisted that any agreement must be comprehensive and lead to a complete end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a full prisoner swap, and unimpeded humanitarian aid access to the embattled enclave.
On the other hand, Israel continues to maintain firm demands, including the unconditional return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas and other militant factions — the latter being a core point of contention and a non-negotiable “red line” for the Palestinian group.
The current conflict was ignited by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. During the attack, Hamas and allied fighters took 251 people hostage. According to the Israeli military, 58 of those hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.
A previous truce between January 19 and March 17 facilitated the release of 33 hostages, including eight who were deceased, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
Since the fighting resumed on March 18, at least 2,062 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. This brings the overall death toll in Gaza to 51,439 since the start of the war, with tens of thousands more wounded and widespread destruction across the territory.
As talks in Cairo proceed, hopes remain that a longer-term ceasefire could finally be within reach — if both sides are willing to make significant concessions.
