Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer

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Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
JERUSALEM - A senior Israeli official on Aug 19 said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza ceasefire deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal.
Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan, a day after Hamas signalled its readiness for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war.
Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting that it was 'almost identical' to an earlier version agreed to by Israel.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told AFP the government's stance had not changed and demanded the release of all hostages in any deal.
The two foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire.
Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy.
Egypt said on Aug 18 that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding 'the ball is now in its court'.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on Aug 19 that Hamas had given a 'very positive response, and it truly was almost identical to what the Israeli side had previously agreed to'.
'We cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made. But we do believe it is a positive point,' he added.
Mounting pressure
According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera News, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept 'an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war'.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had 'opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Mr Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past'.
Hamas's acceptance of the proposal came as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad.
On Aug 17, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war and a deal to free the hostages still held captive.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The new proposal also comes after Israel's Security Cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, despite fears it will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
On Aug 19, the new offensive was presented to the defence minister by the military's top brass.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – who has staunchly opposed ending the war – slammed the plan, warning of a 'tragedy' if Netanyahu 'gives in to Hamas'.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said: 'Unfortunately, today's Zionist reactions reflect Netanyahu's malicious intentions to continue the war, genocide and ethnic cleansing.'
Unbearable
Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 48 people were killed on Aug 19 by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory.
Agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was 'very dangerous and unbearable' in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said 'artillery shelling continues intermittently'.
The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' and took 'feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm'.
The military later said a strike in Khan Yunis overnight targeted a Hamas militant, adding that 'steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence'.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swaths of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.
Sabra resident Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said 'tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are firing bullets and missiles' in the neighbourhood.
'We heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is escalating the war against us, the civilians,' he added.
Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,064 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable. AFP