Palestinian militant group Hamas has rejected Israel's bid to revive hostage negotiations by rejecting a proposal for a week-long truce in the Gaza Strip in exchange for 40 hostages. The group reportedly told Israel that it wouldn't engage in negotiations until a pause in its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The proposal put forth by Israel required Hamas to release all women, children and elderly male hostages who require urgent medical care in exchange for a pause in air and ground operations in Gaza for a week. It would also ensure the flow of aid into the coastal territory, The Wall Street Journal quoted Egyptian officials engaged in talks.
But Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which took part in the negotiations for the first time, told Egyptian mediators that Israel must pause its offensive in the Strip before they will discuss any potential deal.
The Islamic Jihad also demanded Israel free all Palestinian prisoners for the release of all remaining hostages — estimated at some 100.
However, Israel rejected the demand to halt its military offensive, stating that this condition is a non-starter for talks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Wednesday that the war would end only with Hamas eradicated, all hostages freed and Gaza posing no more threat to Israel. "Whoever thinks we will stop is detached from reality...All Hamas terrorists, from the first to the last, are dead men walking," he said.
The offer was presented before Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday. Taher Al-Nono, Haniyeh's media adviser, told Reuters that Hamas was not willing to discuss releasing more Israeli hostages until Israel ends its Gaza offensive and increases the volume of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.
"The issue of prisoners can be negotiated after these two matters are achieved. We cannot talk about negotiations while Israel continues its aggression. Discussing any proposal related to prisoners must occur after the cessation of aggression," Nono told media in Cairo. "We have talked with our brothers in Egypt, outlining our stance on this aggression and the urgent need to stop it as a top priority," Nono said.
However, Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal said this shouldn't be viewed as a failure in the negotiations and that the terror group rejected the offer to wriggle further concession from Israel.
The US too maintained that "very serious" negotiations were underway on a new Gaza ceasefire and the release of more Israeli hostages. Negotiations were still on regarding which of the hostages still held by Palestinian Islamist militants in Gaza could be freed in a new truce and which Palestinian prisoners Israel might release in return. "These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope that they lead somewhere," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday.
