Israeli official: US proposes adjusting hostage-to-prisoner ratio in Gaza truce talks

The United States has made a “transitional proposal” for Israel to release imprisoned Palestinians in exchange for Hamas releases in a new Gaza truce, an Israeli official briefed on talks hosted by Qatar said on Saturday. of every hostage.

An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Bania has been in Doha for indirect talks with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and CIA Director William Burns is helping Qatari and Egyptian officials mediate.

Hamas wants any deal to permanently end the fighting – barring a formal peace – as the Islamist group vows to destroy Israel. Israel plans to continue waging war until Hamas’s rule and military capabilities are destroyed.

“During the negotiations, major differences emerged over the proportion of prisoners among the 40 hostages being discussed for possible release,” said an Israeli official who requested anonymity.

“The United States made a transitional proposal, to which Israel responded positively. A response from Hamas is pending.”

The official did not provide details about the U.S. proposal.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel had no immediate comment.

Asked about the hostage-to-prisoner ratio, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters of a proposal the group made this month under which Israel would release between 700 and 1,000 Imprisoned Palestinians in exchange for female, minor, elderly and infirm captives. Israel called this “unrealistic.”

Abu Zuhri noted Israel’s refusal to agree to halt its offensive, withdraw its troops and allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip: the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the nearly six-month conflict.

“What the United States and the occupying forces (Israel) want is to take back the prisoners without a commitment to end the aggression, which means the restart of war, killing and destruction, and we cannot accept this,” Abu Zuhri said.

U.S. President Joe Biden echoed Israel’s sentiments, saying Hamas must be eliminated.

Israel has said it is willing to suspend the offensive for six weeks and allow more humanitarian aid to Gaza in exchange for 40 hostages. In this way, Hamas seized 253 hostages in a cross-border rampage on October 7 that triggered the war, of which 90 were left behind.

According to the previous truce agreement, at the end of November, for every hostage released by Hamas, Israel released three imprisoned Palestinians, most of whom were young people with relatively minor charges. About 100 hostages were released in total, and a total of 300 Palestinians were released. prisoner.

Israeli officials say they may have to agree to release more senior Palestinian militants this time.

Baniya flew back on Saturday evening along with other senior members of the Israeli delegation, Israeli officials said, adding that their team remained in Doha. The official added that principals were ready to return if negotiations progressed.

Hamas militant group said on Saturday that an Israeli hostage died due to a “lack of medicine and food”.

Israeli officials generally refuse to respond to such statements, accusing Hamas of waging psychological warfare. But Israel itself announced that 35 hostages had died in custody.