The Reuters news agency has seen Hamas’ proposal for a prisoner exchange. According to initial information, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has already rejected Hamas’s proposal.
According to the Reuters news agency, Hamas has made a cease-fire proposal to Egypt and Qatar, the mediators of the Gaza war. Hamas proposes that the prisoners would be exchanged in two stages.
First, Hamas would release women, children, the elderly and the sick from its hostages in exchange for Israel releasing 700-1,000 Palestinians from its prisons.
According to Reuters, Hamas would also release the Israeli female soldiers in its possession, and Israel would release a hundred Palestinian lifers in Israeli prisons.
After this, a permanent ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza would be agreed upon.
In the second phase, the parties would release the rest of their prisoners.
Israel: “Hamas’ demands unrealistic”
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu the agency has rejected Hamas’s new proposal out of hand, reports Reuters.
Egypt and Qatar have tried to narrow the differences of opinion between Hamas and Israel in order to achieve a ceasefire.
Also in February, a cease-fire proposal was made, in which prisoners would be released in the same proportion as in the new Hamas proposal, that is, Palestinian prisoners would be released multiple times compared to Israelis.
Israel rejected the February proposal. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stuck to his position that the goal is to “destroy Hamas.”
Updated 15.3. at 9:05 am with information about Israel’s response.
Source: Reuters