Israel Calls for Immediate Release of Hostages Following Hamas Truce Agreement

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A senior Israeli official says the government stands firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza ceasefire deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal.

Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting it was “almost identical” to an earlier version agreed to by Israel.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told Agence France-Presse the government’s stance had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal.

Israel and Hamas have engaged in sporadic indirect negotiations throughout the conflict, leading to two brief truces. During these periods, Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and those detained administratively. However, these efforts have not succeeded in achieving a permanent ceasefire.

Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy.

Egypt said it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding “the ball is now in its court”.

Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday Hamas had given a “very positive response, and it truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to”.

“We cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made. But we do believe it is a positive point,” he said.

Mounting pressure on Israel

According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet al-Qahera News, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and those held under administrative detention and provisions allowing for the entry of aid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept “an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war”.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media his group had “opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past”.

Hamas’ acceptance of the proposal came as Netanyahu faced increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war.

On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still held captive.

Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’ October 2023 attack that escalated the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

The new proposal also comes after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, fanning fears the new offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory.

On Tuesday, the plan for the new offensive was presented to the defence minister by the military’s top brass.

‘Very dangerous and unbearable’

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported 48 people were killed in the last 24 hours by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory.

Agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was “very dangerous and unbearable” in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said “artillery shelling continues intermittently”.

The Israeli military refrained from discussing particular troop movements, stating only that it was “working to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and implemented “feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm”.

Sabra resident Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said “tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are firing bullets and missiles” in the neighbourhood.

“We heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is escalating the war against us, the civilians,” he said.

Around 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ October 2023 attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s offensive since then has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.