Hamas says open to releasing all hostages for 5-year Gaza truce


Hamas is open to an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would see all hostages released and secure a five-year truce, an official said on Saturday as the groupโ€™s negotiators held talks with mediators.

A Hamas delegation was in Cairo discussing with Egyptian mediators ways out of the 18-month war, while, on the ground, rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 35 people.

Nearly eight weeks into an Israeli aid blockade, the United Nations says food and medical supplies are running out.

The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Palestinian militant group โ€œis ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five yearsโ€.

The latest bid to seal a ceasefire follows an Israeli proposal which Hamas had rejected earlier this month as โ€œpartialโ€, calling instead for a โ€œcomprehensiveโ€ agreement to halt the war ignited by the groupโ€™s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The rejected Israeli offer, according to a senior Hamas official, included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.

Supporters of Israeli hostages play drums during a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Supporters of Israeli hostages play drums during a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

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