Hamas open to releasing some Israeli hostages for pause in fighting, say mediators

Hamas officials have informed international mediators that they are willing to engage in discussions regarding the release of some kidnapped Israelis currently held hostage in return for significant pause in the ongoing conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing Egyptian officials on Tuesday. This represents a notable departure from Hamas’s previous stance, where they insisted on negotiating hostage issues only within the context of a comprehensive agreement leading to a permanent resolution of the conflict in Gaza. The conflict intensified when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October, resulting in Israel claiming 1,200 casualties and over 240 people taken hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the matter, and there was no immediate response from Hamas to a request for comment, according to the report. Hamas’s latest proposal coincides with intense fighting in its last major stronghold, the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Israel alleges that senior Hamas figures, along with some hostages, are hiding in tunnels beneath Khan Younis. According to WSJ, citing Egyptian officials, Hamas has shown a willingness to negotiate a deal that would release all remaining civilian women and children held as hostages. In November, 105 hostages, mostly Israeli civilian women and children, were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, accompanied by a weeklong cease-fire. Around 130 hostages remain captive in Gaza, including 19 women and two children, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Some of the women are Israeli soldiers. Five of the women hostages may be dead, Israeli authorities have said. According to the report, mediators said that Hamas responded to an Israeli proposal, which aimed to secure the release of all civilian hostages in exchange for a three-month cease-fire, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas in Gaza, and freedom of movement for Palestinian civilians within the enclave. Despite various proposals through Egypt and Qatar after the last cease-fire ended on 30 November, both parties rejected them. The recent positive development doesn’t guarantee an imminent deal, and the talks could still collapse, reported WSJ, citing officials. Israeli officials have expressed skepticism about a potential breakthrough but are open to continuing discussions on the terms of a possible deal with their Egyptian and Qatari counterparts. Diplomats facilitating the talks urge both sides to agree on a phased process, beginning with the release of hostages and eventually leading to the withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to the conflict in Gaza. The war has inflicted severe hardship on Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, many of whom are now displaced, facing shortages of food, medicine, and clean water. According to Palestinian authorities, over 25,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began. These figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. With inputs from agencies