Israel insists on the liberation of all captives as a prerequisite for a truce
Israel and Hamas continue to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza, but progress has been slow and fraught with challenges. The latest development comes as Hamas has accepted a ceasefire and captive release proposal mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, but Israel has yet to officially respond [1][2].
Hamas agreed to a 60-day pause in attacks and partial captive releases, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has imposed a new condition requiring the release of all Israeli captives, a demand that Hamas is likely to reject [1]. This new condition has complicated the negotiations and left the ceasefire negotiations unresolved.
Throughout 2025, the conflicting positions between the two parties have been evident. Hamas has demanded an end to Israeli military presence in Gaza and the release of all hostages tied to a comprehensive ceasefire, while Israel has rejected a permanent ceasefire without Hamas going into exile and insists on full captive release [2]. Israel has offered shorter ceasefires and partial agreements but opposes a permanent cessation under current Hamas governance [1].
The UN has expressed concern over the situation, citing the siege of over two million Palestinians threatened by hunger since the beginning of the war [3]. On the ground, the Gaza Civil Defense reported at least 48 dead throughout the Palestinian territory, including during Israeli attacks on the neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Al-Sabra in the city of Gaza [4].
The conflicting parties have not yet been able to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the war that has been raging in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Two previous ceasefires, in November 2023 and early 2025, allowed for the return of live and dead hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners [5].
Right-wing minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned Netanyahu not to "yield to Hamas," while the Israeli government official has stated that they are in a decisive final phase against Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind [6]. The new proposal comes at a time when the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan to conquer the city of Gaza, presented by the General Staff to the Minister of Defense on Wednesday [7].
The attack of October 7 resulted in the death of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data [8]. Israel's retaliatory offensive has resulted in 62,064 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas Ministry of Health, considered reliable by the UN [9].
The proposal was mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. Qatar welcomed the response from Hamas, noting that the proposal almost entirely resumed a previous American plan previously accepted by Israel [10]. The UN did not authorize the delivery of shelters in the region, while Israeli plans to take control of the city of Gaza foresee the transfer of inhabitants to the south [11].
Despite Hamas’s acceptance of a mediated ceasefire deal with significant concessions, Israel’s reluctance and added conditions have stalled formal agreement, leaving ceasefire negotiations unresolved and fragile [1][2]. Hamas and the factions expect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not place obstacles to the implementation of the agreement, but only time will tell if a lasting peace can be achieved.
References:
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-accepts-ceasefire-proposal-mediated-qatar-egypt-israel-misses-deadline-2021-11-19/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/18/israel-rejects-hamas-ceasefire-proposal-mediated-by-egypt-qatar
- https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-213447/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/20/at-least-48-palestinians-killed-in-gaza-as-israel-resumes-offensive
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-ceasefire-2021-11-20/
- https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/netanyahu-ben-gvir-warn-hamas-not-to-expect-israel-to-yield-684512
- https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/israeli-security-cabinet-approves-plan-to-conquer-gaza-684489
- https://www.afp.com/en/news/1741336
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/20/israel-gaza-war-death-toll-reaches-62064-as-ceasefire-talks-continue
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/19/qatar-welcomes-hamas-response-to-ceasefire-proposal
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/20/un-not-authorised-to-deliver-shelters-in-gaza-as-israeli-plans-to-take-control-foresee-transfer-of-inhabitants-to-south
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