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Israel proposes Gaza ceasefire deal to release 10 hostages for hundreds of Palestinians, Hamas says
–as 21 more Palestinians killed yesterday
CNN — Hamas is “studying” an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would see 10 hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, an official with the militant group told CNN.
The proposal, received by Hamas on Monday, outlines an initial framework for a 45-day truce in the Palestinian enclave during which the two sides would aim to negotiate a permanent ceasefire, according to the official.
The Israeli proposal also calls for the disarmament of Gaza, previously a red line for Hamas. It does not include a guarantee of a permanent end to the war, which Hamas has demanded as part of a comprehensive agreement.
Palestinian rescuers check the site of Israeli bombardment on a residential building in Gaza City’s Shujaiyya neighbourhood on April 9. Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images
The Hamas official said the group will not agree to any Israeli ceasefire proposal that calls for its disarmament or sees Israeli forces return to Gaza after an initial withdrawal, making it unlikely that the group will accept it.
The offer marks Israel’s first proposal to bring back hostages from Gaza since it resumed the war in March. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under intense pressure from hostage families and a growing number of military reservists to reach a deal.
CNN has reached out to Israeli officials for comment.
Under the proposal, Israeli American Edan Alexander would be released on the first day of the truce as a “special gesture” to the United States, the Hamas official said.
Hamas released a propaganda video over the weekend in which Alexander appealed directly to Trump, asking why he hasn’t been released yet. The three-minute video, almost certainly filmed under duress, is the second proof-of-life video of Alexander since the war began 18 months ago.
However, Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed on Tuesday that they have lost contact with the militants holding Alexander, after they said the Israeli military bombed the location where Alexander was being held.
CNN cannot independently verify the claim.
The militant organization did not say when or where the strike happened. The Israeli military and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Al-Qassam Brigades previously lied about the fate of at least one hostage. In November, the group claimed that an Israeli woman it was holding hostage had been killed in an Israeli bombing and released a photo of her body wrapped in a red-stained white sheet. A tattoo identified the woman as Daniella Gilboa, an Israeli soldier. Gilboa was released by Hamas alive in January.
The Hamas official speaking about the Israeli proposal said that a further nine Israeli hostages would be released in two stages in exchange for 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,100 detainees held without charge since October 7, 2023, the official added.
Israel’s proposal also demands that Hamas provide information about the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the group, “in exchange for information about the Palestinian detainees,” and the release of the bodies of 16 deceased Israeli hostages in exchange for the remains of 160 deceased Palestinians held by Israel.
The “temporary ceasefire lasting 45 days” would also include the cessation of military operations and the entry of aid into Gaza as well as “an agreed mechanism to ensure that aid reaches only civilians,” the Hamas official said.
The proposal would also include the entry of equipment necessary for sheltering Palestinians displaced in Gaza.
A Hamas delegation met with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo over the weekend. Israel has not publicly acknowledged whether it sent a team to the negotiations.
Since early March, Israel has cut Gaza off from the supply of humanitarian aid including food, with aid agencies warning that the situation for the strip’s 2 million civilians has deteriorated dangerously, only worsened by intensive Israeli military operations.
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