Israel has offered to release between 700 to 800 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 convicted of murder, in exchange for just 40 hostages held by Hamas, according to Israeli media outlets. This offer marks a shift in Israel’s position, as it had previously dismissed such an exchange as “unrealistic”.

The proposed deal would see the release of Israeli women, children, elderly, and sick who were taken captive by Hamas on October 7, in exchange for hundreds of incarcerated Palestinians, including dozens serving life sentences for killing Israelis. Additionally, Israel is willing to discuss allowing Palestinian refugees to return to the war-torn northern half of the Gaza Strip.

However, Israeli officials are ruling out any deal that calls for the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, a key demand of Hamas. Hamas is expected to take several days to review the deal before making a decision.

The offer comes a day after US negotiators made a “bridging proposal” aimed at establishing a ratio of prisoners-to-hostages freed as part of a temporary truce agreement with Hamas. However, it is unclear if the current proposal is the same as the one suggested by the American negotiators.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has previously stated that any deal accepted by the terror group must include conditions for an end to the war, while Israel has only expressed interest in a six-week truce to free the hostages and allow more aid to reach Gaza.

If the deal goes through, around 90 hostages would still be left behind in Gaza as the war nears its sixth month.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)