US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (X Screenshot)
Netanyahu said Israel agreed to a plan that would release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives during a 60-day ceasefire.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel has accepted US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s hostage release proposal. However, Hamas says the plan is biased in favor of Israel and demands changes.
Speaking to bereaved families of hostages, Netanyahu said Israel has agreed to a plan that would release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives during a 60-day ceasefire.
However, he expressed doubts that the terror group would accept the proposal and emphasized the need to eliminate Hamas as a political and military force.
“We don’t believe that Hamas would return all of the hostages, and therefore, we continue fighting until Hamas is eliminated. We will remain in the Gaza Strip until all the hostages are in our hands.”
Although Witkoff was optimistic that Hamas would ultimately accept the proposal, the terror organization expressed disappointment that it was drafted after Witkoff met with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Hamas indicated that it may consider the proposal if Witkoff adds a clause requiring Israel’s military to retreat to where its soldiers were stationed after the previous truce agreement in late March and that the distribution of humanitarian aid will continue according to international standards.
The intent of the latter requirement appears to undermine the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Israel relies on because it aims to prevent aid from falling into Hamas’ hands, although it has been criticized by international organizations.
In addition, Hamas requests revisions to the language concerning the 60-day ceasefire leading to a permanent truce, aiming to make it more difficult for Israel to resume military operations if an agreement isn’t reached.
Hamas and Israel are expected to discuss the proposal for at least several days.
An Al Arabiya report claiming that Hamas and Israel had already agreed to Witkoff’s hostage deal is false, according to an Israeli official.
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