The armed Palestinian resistance group Hamas has expressed willingness to accept a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza under terms involving a prisoner swap with Israel, according to a statement released Wednesday.
Al Jazeera reported that Hamas declared it is prepared to halt hostilities if Israel agrees to a structured deal: the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. This move comes at a critical time after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly called on Hamas to release hostages believed to be held inside Gaza.
Reports suggest that around 48 hostages remain in Gaza, though estimates indicate only about 20 of them may still be alive. Hamas, while signaling openness to a deal, launched strong criticism of Israel, accusing it of committing “horrific war crimes” following an airstrike in northern Gaza that killed at least 10 civilians.
In its statement, Hamas also appealed to the United Nations and international community to intervene urgently to stop what it described as an ongoing genocide in Gaza. The group emphasized that Israel has escalated its “brutal attacks” on Gaza City and surrounding areas, worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.
However, Israel has outright rejected Hamas’s latest proposal. The Prime Minister’s Office of Israel reaffirmed that any end to the Gaza war must be conditional on terms already set by the Israeli cabinet: the full release of all Israeli hostages and the complete disarmament of Hamas.
While Hamas has reportedly agreed to key points suggested by international mediators, it refuses to accept the disarmament clause. Hamas leaders insist that laying down arms could only be considered under one condition: the establishment of a recognized, sovereign Palestinian state.
This deadlock underscores the profound mistrust and diverging objectives on both sides. For Hamas, the ceasefire proposal is an attempt to gain relief for Gaza’s population while also securing the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. For Israel, however, the priority remains not only recovering hostages but also ensuring that Hamas no longer poses a military threat.
The developments mark another cycle in the complex negotiations mediated by regional and global actors. While Hamas’s statement signals a potential diplomatic opening, Israel’s rejection highlights how far apart the two sides remain in defining conditions for peace.
