Hamas has more than halved the number of hostages it is willing to release during the first phase of a proposed ceasefire deal, an Israeli source close to the negotiations said.
In its latest counterproposal, Hamas offered to release fewer than 20 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire, more than halving the number of 40 hostages that has been the basis of negotiations for months, a major step back. in conversations.
A senior Biden administration official confirmed that Hamas is targeting those 20 for the first phase of a possible deal. The official also confirmed that Hamas is telling mediators that it only has about 20 hostages left, who are women or sick, wounded and elderly men.
Hamas also called for the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for fewer hostages, the source said, as well as a greater number of prisoners serving life sentences.
The Israeli source said the latest Hamas counterproposal indicates that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, does not want a deal, seeking to exploit fissures between the United States and Israel over Israeli military operations in Gaza and domestic pressure on the government. Israeli.
Hamas spokesman Basem Naim said the group had proposed “releasing (three) captured Israelis every week,” but said “no one is talking about final numbers.”
Regardless of the proportion of Palestinian prisoners, Hamas continues to demand guarantees on a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and unrestricted access for Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
“I think part of this is that Hamas thinks they are winning. Because their definition of success is survival and they have survived so far,” the Biden official said. “The longer the conflict continues, the more recalcitrant Hamas becomes, and not the other way around.”
