Hamas open to hostage release, five-year truce in Gaza, official says

Hamas is open to a comprehensive agreement to end the Gaza war, including the one-time release of all remaining hostages and a five-year cessation of hostilities, an official from the Palestinian group said Saturday.

Hamas signals readiness for hostage release and long-term truce

“Hamas is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years,” the official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, as a Hamas delegation prepared to meet mediators in Cairo.

Hamas previously rejected an Israeli proposal on April 17 that suggested a 45-day truce in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.

The group insists that any truce must lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the end of the war, a prisoner exchange, and the unobstructed entry of humanitarian aid into the territory.

Israel demands the return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with disarmament considered a non-negotiable “red line” for Israel.

Humanitarian toll mounts in Gaza and West Bank

The conflict, which gained a new level on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas’ attack on Israel, resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side.

Out of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli army.

A previous truce between Jan. 19 and March 17 allowed the return of 33 hostages, including eight deceased, in exchange for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, at least 2,062 Palestinians, mostly civilians and children, have been killed since Israel decided to resume its operations on March 18, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to at least 51,439 people.

Hamas accuses Israel of accelerating annexation policies in West Bank

Hamas has also recently accused Israel of accelerating annexation and forced displacement policies through violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement, Hamas called for increased resistance against Israeli soldiers and settlers, describing the escalating attacks as an extension of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The group emphasized that the intensified violence was fueling widespread anger and resistance against Israeli policies aimed at erasing Palestinian existence.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have resulted in increased detentions, raids, and violence.

Palestinian sources report that more than 957 Palestinians have been killed, about 7,000 injured, and 16,400 detained in the West Bank during this period.

Hamas condemns Netanyahu over Gaza conflict

Recently, Hamas has also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of carrying out one of the “most horrific genocides of modern times” against Palestinians in Gaza.

In a written statement, Hamas said Netanyahu’s remarks about ensuring the Holocaust never happens again are contradicted by Israel’s actions over the past 19 months.

“Netanyahu, who speaks of preventing another Holocaust, is at the same time managing one of the most horrific holocausts of modern times against Palestinians in Gaza, using the West’s most advanced weapons before the eyes of the world,” Hamas said.

The group claimed that Gaza has become the “Auschwitz of the 21st century,” criticizing what it described as the global community’s indifference.

The statement urged human rights organizations and free nations to break their silence and act against what it called an ongoing genocide against Palestinian civilians.

Hamas: Israel targeting Gaza health system to deepen humanitarian crisis

Hamas has also claimed that Israel is deliberately collapsing the health system in Gaza to advance its plans of genocide and forced displacement.

Following an Israeli attack on Durra Children’s Hospital in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood, Hamas issued a statement condemning the strike as part of a systematic policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

The number of hospitals rendered inoperative in Gaza has now reached 37, according to Hamas.

The group called on the international community, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to fulfill their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and to take effective measures to halt Israeli attacks.

On April 22, Israeli artillery targeted the hospital’s solar panels and intensive care unit, causing the hospital to go out of service, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.