Hamas’s Response to Ceasefire Proposal: Sticking to Demands, Pushing for Escalation

On Sunday, it was reported that Hamas had responded to the mediators’ proposal with a willingness to release only about 20 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire. This was half of the original number of hostages that were planned to be released according to an Israeli official. The official criticized Hamas for using “ridiculous excuses” to justify the reduction in the number of abductees they were willing to free in the first phase of the deal.

Hamas had also increased its demands regarding the release of more Palestinian prisoners and wanted higher “keys” for each Israeli abductee. The Israeli official noted that Hamas had divided the agreement into several phases and was tying them together. They were conditioning the implementation of phase one on receiving international guarantees to end the war in phase two of the deal.

Furthermore, Hamas demanded that IDF forces withdraw from large areas in Gaza Strip in phase one, allowing Palestinians full return to north of Gaza Strip and full freedom of movement throughout Gaza Strip starting from phase one of the deal. The Israeli official stated that Hamas had completely changed the proposal from mediators and doubled and tripled their demands. It was clear that Hamas was not interested in a settlement or ceasefire and continued to hope for escalation.

In conclusion, an Israeli official expressed frustration with Hamas’s response, stating that they were dragging their feet and not interested in a peaceful resolution. The situation remained tense as Hamas continued to push for more concessions and escalate conflict further.