Hamas Considers Agreement To Release 33 Hostages

Bad luck UNOCHA / Themba Linden / ILLUSTRATION / TIM UN

JAKARTA - Hamas is considering a new proposal for a hostage-taking deal filed by Egypt requiring the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The proposals prepared with the help of Israel, as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Tuesday, April 30, consist of two stages.

The first phase of the agreement includes the release of 20-33 hostages for several weeks in exchange for a pause in fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel.

The duration of the ceasefire could be extended by relying on the number of hostages released. Then, as part of the second phase of the deal, Hamas was asked to swap the remaining hostages, including the Israeli army and its bodies with more Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli intelligence, military and security officials delegations will travel to Cairo on Tuesday to wait for a response from Hamas, the report said.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack on Israel and violated borders, attacked civilian environments, and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and about 240 others kidnapped in the attack.

Israel launched a counter-attack, ordered a total blockade of Gaza and began ground attacks on Palestinian enclaves with the aim of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. More than 34,400 people have been killed so far as a result of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas over a temporary ceasefire and exchange of several detainees and hostages, as well as sending humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The ceasefire has been extended several times and ended on December 1. More than 100 hostages are believed to be still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

In early April, a new chapter of Israeli-Hamas negotiations began in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The ceasefire proposal made at the negotiations regulates the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators.

However, Hamas largely rejected the proposal and said they would submit their own plans to end the conflict permanently in the region.