hostages, calendar, exchange of prisoners … what the proposal of Israel contains

Towards a new truce in Gaza? Hamas announced on Monday, April 14, having received, via the Egyptian mediators, an Israeli truce proposal in the Gaza Strip in the grip of eighteen months to a war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement. Here is what we know about this proposal.

• What does this proposal provide?

The content is currently a little vague, Israel having not expressed on this proposal. An official of Hamas told AFP that Israel is asking for the return, in several times, of ten living hostages in exchange for a truce of“At least 45 days”of the release, in two phases, of a total of 1,231 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an authorization to bring humanitarian aid in the besieged Palestinian territory.

For its part, the Israeli public channel Kan 11 evokes the return, in three stages, of 25 hostages, nine alive and 16 dead, against a 45 -day truce.

The Tikva forum (“hope” in Hebrew), which brings together several relatives of hostages, said on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu had maintained himself with the mother of a hostage member of the forum, and had told him that the agreement which takes shape provides for the release of ten living hostages.

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During the unprecedented attack perpetrated by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, 251 people had been removed. Fifty-eights are still retained in Gaza, including 34 dead, according to the Israeli army. A truce, between January 19 and March 17, allowed the return to Israel of 33 hostages, including eight dead, in exchange for the exit of around 1,800 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

The different phases of a possible agreement would provide for redeployments of the Israeli army within the Gaza Strip, where it has taken control of important portions of the territory in recent weeks.

• What would be the calendar of this temporary truce?

According to the Hamas manager who spoke on Monday, Israel demanded “As a sign of good will” The return, the first day of the agreement, of the Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. It is the only living hostage having American nationality still retained by the Palestinian movement which broadcast a video of him on Saturday.

On the second day, Hamas would release five living hostages against 66 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and 611 detainees from Gaza. The entry of humanitarian aid in the territory would be authorized. According to the Palestinian movement manager, Israel demands that the release will be done without a public ceremony – as has been done by Hamas in the past.

The third day would see the opening of negotiations on a “Permanent ceasefire” that Israel conditions a disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, a requirement which, according to the manager, crosses “A red line […] non -negotiable “ For Hamas.

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The second week, he said, Hamas was expected to release four other hostages against 54 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and 500 others arrested by Israel after October 7, 2023.

According to the calendar mentioned by Kan 11, five hostages would be returned to Israel on the second day of the agreement, four other on the seventh day, then 16 hostage remains on the twentieth day. The chain does not mention Edan Alexander.

• Has Hamas accepted this proposal?

“Hamas will most likely transmit its response to mediators within 48 hours, the movement still leading in -depth consultations”said the senior manager on Tuesday.

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The movement “Has no problem with the number of hostages and is ready to release them all in one time or in several phases”said another official. He “Will not accept any proposal or solution that does not understand a global and permanent ceasefire, a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid” He added, repeating the refusal to disarm.