Exclusive: Hamas offers to release ten captives over sixty days in three stages

Middle East Eye

2 days ago

Hamas has requested changes to a US-backed ceasefire plan intended to halt Israel's military offensive in Gaza, the group said on Saturday.
Middle East Eye has obtained the full 13-point proposal through informed Palestinian sources. The document outlines the terms Hamas has conditionally accepted, including a 60-day ceasefire with US President Donald Trump acting as guarantor of Israel's compliance.
The plan would see Hamas release ten living Israeli captives and the remains of 18 others in three phases. For the living captives four on day one, two on day 30, and four on day 60. As for the bodies, six will be returned on day ten, another six on day 30, and the remaining six on day 50.
In return, Israeli forces would begin withdrawing to positions held before 2 March 2025.
A Palestinian source close to the negotiations criticised Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff for pushing a deal that lacks clarity and guarantees, telling MEE it shows 'ill intention,' warning it could lead to the collapse of the fragile talks.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Speaking to MEE on condition of anonymity the Palestinian source said that the "insistence of Witkoff to release the captives in the first week shows ill intention, and based on previous experience, the Israelis will just go back into full-blown war and sabotage the rest of the deal.'
'Hamas felt betrayed twice by Witkoff'
- Palestinian source
'What guarantees do the Palestinians have for an end to the war, Witkoff and the Israelis are not showing an intention or a path to end the war,' the source added.
'Witkoff's only concern is the release of the Israeli captives, but he shows a complete disregard for the continuous killing of thousands Palestinian civilians, majority of whom are women and children, and the suffering of the spread of famine for the two million Palestinians in Gaza" the Palestinian source noted.
'Hamas felt betrayed twice by Witkoff. The first when Israel broke the US guaranteed deal on 2 March by imposing the embargo on aid and then returning to full blown war on 18 March, with Witkoff's and the American administration's full support and cover," the source said.
"And the second time, when Hamas released the American-Israeli soldier with an expectation of humanitarian relief and a new approach towards the negotiations, which clearly has not been the case,' they added.
Ambiguity around Israeli withdrawal and aid
During the ceasefire negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that all ten living captives and the eighteen bodies be released on the first day — a condition Palestinian negotiators rejected, fearing Israel would resume its military onslaught immediately after.
Hamas is demanding that Israeli forces withdraw to the positions they held before 2 March 2025 — a move short of full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip — but the Palestinian source said Witkoff has failed to specify where, exactly, Israeli troops would redeploy.
'Withdrawal to where? Witkoff is also quite unclear about this,' the Palestinian source told MEE.
The Palestinian source also expressed frustration over the lack of transparency in the proposed aid mechanism.
'Witkoff is not clear about the mechanism of distribution of aid,' they added.
'Bahbah negotiated with Hamas, reached a deal with them, and agreed it with Witkoff. Witkoff then met with Dermer and Netanyahu refused it, which lead to Witkoff walking back on his deal'
- Palestinian source
More broadly, the Palestinian source said the current framework doesn't offer a viable route to end the war.
'What guarantees do the Palestinians have for end of the war? Witkoff and the Israelis are not showing an intention or a path to end the war.'
According to the Palestinian source, earlier in the negotiation process, Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American mediator working for the Trump administration, reached an understanding with Hamas and had an agreement in place, which Witkoff had initially signed off on.
However, after meeting Israeli Minister Ron Dermer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Witkoff reversed course and withdrew support for the deal.
'Bahbah negotiated with Hamas, reached a deal with them, and agreed it with Witkoff. Witkoff then met with Dermer and Netanyahu refused it, which lead to Witkoff walking back on his deal,' the Palestinian source said.
The remarks reflect growing Palestinian distrust in the negotiation process, with Hamas increasingly sceptical that the proposed deal will deliver a credible and enforceable end to the war.
US-Israel coordination and fears of resumed war
Reporting from Axios indicates that Witkoff's ceasefire proposal was "fully coordinated with Israel and was a result of his meeting with Netanyahu's confidant Ron Dermer at the White House on Tuesday."
Axios also reported that Hamas pushed for language stating that if a permanent ceasefire deal isn't reached within 60 days, the temporary truce would automatically be extended indefinitely.
Earlier this week Drop Site news reported that Witkoff's latest ceasefire proposal was crafted with Netanyahu which explicitly does not guarantee an end to Israel's war on Gaza
Palestinian negotiators have largely agreed to ceasefire provisions it signed on 17 January which Israel broke on the 18 March resuming its military campaign.
In the revised document submitted by Hamas negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would begin immediately once the temporary truce takes effect.
A key clause put forward by Hamas calls for an 'independent committee of technocrats' to manage Gaza's affairs after a permanent ceasefire is secured — a move that would see Hamas relinquish governing authority in the Strip.
Israeli army tanks take position at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on May 29, 2025 (AFP)
However, reports indicate that Witkoff and Netanyahu have sought to remove clauses that would see Hamas handover administrative control in Gaza an indication that the war on Gaza could resume after 60 days.
Witkoff dismissed Hamas's amendments on Saturday as 'totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.' He demanded that the group accept the existing framework for proximity talks set to begin next week.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas welcomed Witkoff's proposal but said it required key modifications. A Hamas official told Al Jazeera the group had already agreed to an earlier version a week prior, only for Witkoff to return with an altered plan that, according to Hamas, omitted crucial elements.
'We cannot accept such a proposal as a baseline for negotiations,' said senior Hamas official Basem Naim, citing the absence of guarantees for a 60-day ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and full Israeli withdrawal.
Surge in humanitarian aid
In its formal response, Hamas also demanded urgent humanitarian and reconstruction measures. These include immediate aid access coordinated through the United Nations and organisations such as the Red Crescent, in accordance with an agreement signed on 19 January 2025, when the first ceasefire agreement was signed.
During the negotiation phase, final plans will be drawn up to rebuild homes, public facilities and critical infrastructure, alongside aid for those affected by the war.
Displaced Palestinians ferry bags of food aid after storming a World Food Programme warehouse in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on May 28, 2025 (AFP)
The group called for full restoration of "electricity, water, sanitation, communications and roads, along with the resumption of services at hospitals, health centres, schools and bakeries." Hamas also pressed for unrestricted movement via the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the revival of trade and commercial flows.
Its proposal for a permanent ceasefire would entail a "five-to-seven-year halt in hostilities", guaranteed by the US, Egypt and Qatar.
While negotiations are ongoing, Washington would remain committed to maintaining the truce and facilitating aid delivery, with a target to conclude talks within 60 days.
Ceasefire terms and prisoner exchanges
Hamas has stated in its proposal that 'all Israeli military activities in Gaza will cease upon the entry into force" of the ceasefire agreement.
Ireland stands by claim Israel committing genocide in Gaza Read More »
The group added that during the truce, Israeli military and reconnaissance aircraft would be grounded for 10 hours each day, and for 12 hours on days when prisoner exchanges take place.
The proposal also highlighted that the US President is committed to ensuring both sides respect the ceasefire. According to the document, the President 'insists that negotiations during the temporary ceasefire, if successfully concluded by agreement between the parties, will lead to a permanent solution to the conflict.'
On the issue of Israeli captives, Hamas outlined that it would release ten living Israeli captives and 18 bodies in return for a number of Palestinian prisoners and bodies, to be determined by mutual agreement. The document says the exchange would take place 'simultaneously and according to an agreed-upon mechanism.'
Hamas further pledged to guarantee the 'health, welfare, and security' of Israeli detainees immediately after the ceasefire begins. In return, Israel would be expected to ensure similar treatment for Palestinians held in its prisons and detention centres, 'in accordance with international law and norms.'