Hamas has indicated that it is likely to snub the latest hostage offer made by Israel while stating that they remain open to a deal. Speaking to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official based in Lebanon, said, “Our position on the current negotiating paper is negative.” Hamas’s press office, however, clarified, “The negative position does not mean negotiations have stopped. There is a back-and-forth issue.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has publicly urged Hamas to take the deal, stating that it remained the only obstacle to a ceasefire. He described the deal as a “generous offer” from Israel. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has committed that Tel Aviv will conduct a ground operation whether there is a hostage deal or not. Hamdan has in turn warned that Hamas will walk away from negotiations if Israel launches its long-pledged operation in Rafah.
There are other issues too. While Israel has lowered its demand for the release of 40 hostages to 33, it has only offered a temporary ceasefire, with the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. According to the Guardian, the deal proposed is that women hostages will be released in batches of three every three days. This is something that Hamas has been unable to agree to, as it wants a permanent ceasefire, the return of displaced Palestinians to the north of Gaza, and the complete removal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Pressure has mounted on the Israeli Prime Minister by the hostages’ families to make a deal. Recent suggestions that an impending warrant may be issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu has ensured matters have eased somewhat for Palestinians in Gaza. The US too has put pressure on Tel Aviv, with President Biden threatening Israel that US policy could shift should humanitarian norms not be followed.
According to an Al Jazeera report, the Israeli delegation in Cairo, where the peace talks are being held, was waiting for a response from Yahya Sinwar. “Only after he responds will we decide what to do.”
(With inputs from agencies)
