Hamas has proposed releasing all remaining Israeli captives, including male soldiers captured on 7 October 2023, in exchange for a complete end to the war on Gaza, Al Jazeera reported today.
The proposal, if accepted, would halt the ongoing captive exchange process, which has seen groups of Israelis handed over to the Red Cross in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
There has been no official response from Israel so far, Al Jazeera noted. However, the deal is likely to face resistance from right-wing Israeli politicians. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have both called for renewed airstrikes on Gaza and the displacement of its population to make way for Jewish settlement.
Both ministers have also threatened to withdraw from the coalition government if a full ceasefire is agreed upon, a move that could lead to the collapse of the ruling coalition.
