Axios: Israel rejects Hamas offer for new hostage deal
Israel rejected Hamas's proposal for a new hostage deal, deeming it unacceptable, about this became known Axios portal.
The authors of the material note, with reference to Israeli officials, that the Palestinian movement on December 31 conveyed its proposal through Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries.
One of the portal’s sources indicated that Hamas’s proposal demonstrates its readiness to negotiate a prisoner deal, despite the continuation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
It is also clarified that the initiative of the Palestinian movement involved a three-stage process, each of which provides for a ceasefire of more than a month in exchange for the release of hostages.
As part of the first stage of the deal, Hamas offered to release about 40 prisoners, for which Israel should withdraw troops from Gaza. The final stage involves the release of all Israeli soldiers and the end of the war in the enclave.
According to the portal, the Israeli military cabinet discussed the proposal and told the mediators that it was unreasonable and unacceptable.
“Negotiations are no longer at an impasse, but they have also not yet made significant progress,” one Israeli official said.
Earlier, CNN reported that the American side was putting pressure on Israel to begin “a more surgically precise phase of combat operations.” Washington believes that Israel's decision to reduce the number of its military in the Gaza Strip indicates a gradual reduction in the intensity of the operation in the enclave.
#Israel #refused #Hamas #proposal #hostages
