Hamas has expressed readiness for a comprehensive deal to end the Gaza war and release all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
While Hamas has made similar statements in the past, the militant group reiterated the position late on Wednesday after President Trump called on it to immediately release all of the living hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas said it was ready to free them in exchange for an end to the war, the full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza, the beginning of reconstruction and the opening of border crossings to bring everything that is needed into Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel dismissed the statement as “spin” and “nothing new.” Mr. Netanyahu, too, has been advocating a comprehensive deal to end the war lately, but it has become clear that his interpretation of what that means is very different to that of Hamas.
Mr. Netanyahu said that the war could end if Hamas agreed to conditions set by Israel’s security cabinet, including disarmament. Hamas has repeatedly rejected the demands to give up its arsenal.
Hamas’s statement and Mr. Netanyahu’s reaction were reminders of how deadlocked the two sides are over an agreement to end the war. While both have outlined road maps, their terms often appear to be irreconcilable.
Hamas wants an agreement that will enable it to retain some power in Gaza, which it has ruled for nearly two decades. Mr. Netanyahu is pressing for Hamas’s effective surrender through disarmament.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said that if Hamas released 20 hostages, “things will change rapidly” in the war.
“IT WILL END!” he posted on social media.
The Israeli authorities say they believe that about 20 captives are still alive out of a total of 48 who remain in Gaza.
The Israeli military has been gearing up for a full-scale invasion of Gaza City, which Israeli officials have portrayed as one of Hamas’s last strongholds in Gaza.
If Hamas and Israel can agree to a temporary cease-fire or an end to the war, it could spare Gaza City residents from being uprooted to southern and central parts of the territory.
Before its statement on Wednesday, Hamas had said that it agreed to a proposal for a phased cease-fire deal put forward by Egypt and Qatar, two mediating countries. That plan would begin with a 60-day cease-fire during which the exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners would take place alongside talks about ending the war permanently.
For much of the past year, Mr. Netanyahu had insisted on a phased cease-fire deal on the grounds that a comprehensive solution on Israel’s terms would be too hard to achieve quickly. A temporary cease-fire would also leave Israel the option of going back to fighting.
But about a month ago, Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy for peace missions, said in a meeting with hostage families that Mr. Trump wanted to see all the living hostages released at once.
Around the same time, Mr. Netanyahu and his allies in the Israeli government started focusing their public statements on a comprehensive deal to end the war that releases all the hostages.
Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
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