Israel has called the latest set of demands from Hamas “ridiculous” and “absurd” but said it will send a negotiating team to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations on a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and release of hostages held by the terror group.
Hamas submitted a new set of demands on Thursday, including calls for a large number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and an eventual agreement on a permanent ceasefire.
The response from Hamas was long-awaited after discussions over a proposed six-week pause in the fighting appeared to stall. The Biden administration has repeatedly said in recent weeks that the onus was on Hamas to respond and that Israel had generally agreed to a framework deal.
Hamas communicated their latest proposal via mediators Qatar and Egypt on Thursday, two sources familiar with the negotiations told CNN. On Friday, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” but announced that an Israeli team would soon be traveling to Doha to further talks.
An agreement, if it happens, is expected to have multiple phases, and in the first stage, Hamas has proposed releasing the Israeli hostages who are women – including IDF soldiers – the elderly, sick and wounded. That number is believed to be around 40 out of the around 100 hostages who remain alive.
The latest proposal by Hamas demands that some 700 to 1,000 Palestinians prisoners be released, a diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN, confirming earlier reporting by Reuters.
In a second phase, Hamas said that each side should release all remaining hostages and prisoners, which would include male IDF soldiers and more Palestinian prisoners. The Hamas proposal included 100 prisoners serving life…
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