CAIRO, Egypt: A senior Hamas official said on Monday that the Palestinian group is ready to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a “serious prisoner swap” deal and guarantees that Israel will end the war in Gaza.
Hamas is engaged in negotiations in Cairo with mediators from Egypt and Qatar – two nations working alongside the United States to broker a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Taher Al-Nunu, a senior member of Hamas, told media in Cairo that the group’s position in the ongoing negotiations is clear: “We are ready to release all Israeli captives in exchange for a serious prisoner swap deal, an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the entry of humanitarian aid.”
Al-Nunu accused Israel of stalling progress, saying, “The issue is not the number of captives, but rather that the occupation is reneging on its commitments, blocking the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and continuing the war.”
He added that Hamas is demanding international guarantees to ensure Israel abides by any future agreement.
“Hamas has therefore stressed the need for guarantees to compel the occupation to uphold the agreement,” he said.
According to Israeli news website Ynet, a new proposal presented to Hamas suggests that the group release 10 living hostages in exchange for US guarantees that Israel will enter negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire.
The first phase, which began on 19 January, lasted two months before collapsing.
Despite international pressure, negotiations have stalled due to disagreements over the number of hostages Hamas would release and Israel’s demands.
Hamas has rejected any suggestion of disarmament — a key Israeli condition. “The weapons of the resistance are not up for negotiation,” Al-Nunu stated.
The war erupted following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 hostages were taken.
The Israeli military says 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 34 believed to be dead.
Since October 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50,983 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ministry reported that 1,574 people have been killed since 18 March, when the previous ceasefire collapsed.
On Monday alone, Israeli attacks killed at least 32 Palestinians, medical sources said.
Israeli airstrikes on Sunday targeted multiple areas, including Al-Ahli Hospital in northern Gaza, Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, and Khan Younis in the south.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the repeated Israeli attacks on medical facilities.
“Israel’s attacks on medical facilities have comprehensively degraded access to healthcare in Gaza,” Lammy wrote on social media.
“Al-Ahli Hospital has been attacked repeatedly since the conflict began. These deplorable attacks must end. Diplomacy, not more bloodshed, is how we will achieve a lasting peace.”
According to Egypt’s Ahram Online, the Hamas delegation in Cairo is also discussing broader post-war plans, including the reconstruction of Gaza and the unification of Palestinian institutions in the Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.
Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March after enforcing a complete blockade on Gaza and pressing Hamas to accept new ceasefire terms.
However, Hamas has remained firm, stating that it will only consider further hostage releases if Israel commits to ending the war.
“We will not accept a partial deal of ‘hostages for food’ alone, after which the massacre would resume. We will not break,” said senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi.
