Hamas Demands Release of 1,500 Prisoners

Hamas is demanding a four-and-a-half month ceasefire in Gaza, an Israeli military withdrawal from the territory and the release of at least 1,500 Palestinians prisoners as part of a proposed three-phase deal to secure the release of all the remaining hostages held by the militant group.

The details came as part of Hamas’s response to a framework agreement brokered in Paris 10 days ago at a meeting between top officials from Qatar, Egypt, the US and Israel aimed at securing a hostage deal and truce in the four-month war.

The proposal, which envisages the agreement running for 135 days, and a cessation of hostilities to “achieve a complete and sustainable calm” was published in al-Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper close to Lebanese militant group Hizbollah, a Hamas ally. It was verified to the Financial Times by a person briefed on Hamas’s position.

But securing Israeli agreement for such terms will be difficult, underscoring the challenge faced by mediators. The initial draft framework had proposed a shorter, initial six-week pause in hostilities, while Israeli politicians have expressed resistance to releasing large numbers of high-value Palestinian prisoners.

In exchange for the release of hostages, Hamas wants Israel to release 1,500 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, mostly women and children, but also 500 Palestinians serving life sentences.

The militant group is also demanding a vast increase of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, the start of reconstruction efforts and the return of more than 1mn displaced Gazan residents to their homes.