Gaza: A key development has taken place towards peace in Gaza, which has been devastated by the fierce Israeli attacks for more than a year and a half. Hamas has agreed to the conditions imposed by the United States regarding the release of hostages. Hamas announced that it has responded to the ceasefire proposal by US President Donald Trump’s representative, Ambassador to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. It said that it has agreed to release 10 hostages in exchange for the release of a certain number of Palestinian prisoners. However, the proposal has become a challenge for Israel as Hamas demands a complete end to the war.
“This proposal not only aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, but also to facilitate the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to our people,” Hamas said in a statement. Hamas agreed to the handover of 10 surviving hostages and the bodies of 18 others. In exchange, Israel will release a number of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas said it had agreed to the proposal after national consultations.
However, although Hamas representatives made it clear in an official statement that they had not requested any changes, a Palestinian official told Reuters that they had requested some amendments. The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect on January 19 this year, but it expired within two months. As a result, Israeli attacks resumed in March .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not yet officially responded to these proposals. However, according to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu met with the families of the hostages. It seems that Israel has agreed to this proposal. But there is still no official statement.
However, Israel has maintained its firm stance that the war will end only after Hamas fully disarms, agrees to reconstitute itself as a governing force, and releases the remaining 58 hostages. Hamas has made it clear that it will not lay down its arms, but in return for Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza and guaranteeing an end to the war. Meanwhile, on May 14, Gaza Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar was killed in an Israeli attack.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Gaza, killing about 1,200 Israeli civilians and taking 251 hostages. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the military operation launched by Israel in retaliation. Gaza has been completely destroyed. While this proposal raises new hopes, the views of both sides on the main differences remain strong. While this is a step towards peace, only time will tell how far it will materialize.
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