Hamas offers to release hostages in response to US ceasefire plan

New Delhi, May 31: Hamas has said it is willing to release 10 living Israeli hostages and return the bodies of 18 others as part of its response to a US-backed ceasefire proposal in Gaza, according to a report by the BBC. The Palestinian group confirmed that it had submitted its response to the proposal, which was presented earlier this week by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The plan, according to the White House, had already been approved by Israel. However, Israel has not yet responded publicly to Hamas’s latest position.

In its statement, Hamas said the exchange of hostages would take place in return for the release of an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. But it also raised concerns about aspects of the proposal, highlighting the group’s long-standing demands: a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and guarantees for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to the territory.

As the BBC notes, these demands are not currently included in the ceasefire proposal. Hamas’s statement neither explicitly accepted nor rejected the offer.

The US has been working with Qatar and Egypt to try to negotiate a new truce after a previous two-month ceasefire collapsed in March when Israel resumed military operations and reimposed a blockade on Gaza.

According to Reuters, the ceasefire proposal includes a 60-day halt in fighting, the release of 28 Israeli hostages (both living and dead) in the first week, and the release of 30 more after a permanent ceasefire is agreed. It also provides for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the return of 180 bodies. The plan would allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza through the United Nations and other agencies. Efforts to reach a lasting ceasefire have so far struggled, as key issues remain unresolved between the two sides.