Jerusalem: The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that the response from Hamas to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal for a possible prisoner exchange deal is deemed "unacceptable."
According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian group Hamas had earlier communicated their response to Witkoff's latest Gaza ceasefire proposal through mediators from Egypt and Qatar. In a statement, Netanyahu's office asserted that the group's response "is unacceptable and sets the process back."
US envoy Steve Witkoff also expressed his disapproval of Hamas' response to the US proposal on a Gaza ceasefire, labeling it "totally unacceptable." Witkoff stated on X that the response "only takes us backward," emphasizing that the proposed deal is crucial for closing a 60-day ceasefire in which half of the living hostages and half of those deceased could return to their families. He urged for substantive negotiations in good faith to reach a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas, in a statement outlining its demands, called for a "permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and guarantees for the continuous flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in the territory." As part of the proposal, Hamas suggested releasing 10 Israeli captives and handing over the bodies of 18 others in exchange for a predetermined number of Palestinian prisoners.
While further details from Hamas were not provided, reports from Israeli and US media, along with Palestinian sources close to Hamas, indicated that the proposal includes a prisoner exchange involving the release of 10 Israelis for 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,111 detainees from Gaza captured after October 7, 2023, and 180 Palestinian bodies. The releases are to occur in two phases, with the first on day one and the second on day seven, without public ceremonies.
The proposal stipulates that humanitarian aid would commence immediately upon approval, distributed by the UN and the Red Crescent, with a guarantee to maintain the ceasefire throughout the agreement and any extensions. It also includes a redeployment of Israeli forces within Gaza after the exchange phases, beginning from the northern part of the Strip and the Netzarim corridor to the south.
Since October 2023, Israel has been conducting a significant offensive in Gaza, resulting in the death of nearly 54,400 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. Aid agencies have raised alarms about the potential for famine among the enclave's population of over 2 million.
Furthermore, in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions against civilians in the enclave.