Monday night, Palestinian terror group Hamas stated they’re only willing to release Israeli hostages from Gaza if their original demands for the negotiation are answered. This includes a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and an exchange of Palestinian terrorist prisoners.
Israel has rejected these terms in the past, insisting on the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing powers. Currently, there are 134 hostages being held by Hamas, though not all alive.
Hamas’s statement came just hours after the United Nations Security Council presented a proposal for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. The United States abstained from the vote, but the remaining 14 members voted in favor of it. Israel warns that the US decision to abstain harms the war effort against Hamas and undermines the necessity to release the hostages. Further, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu canceled a trip to Washington on Wednesday with his top aides to discuss the planned fighting in the Gazan city of Rafah, where many of the hostages are suspected to be held. In ongoing talks, Israel still rejects a permanent ceasefire that leaves Hamas in power.
