Media: Hamas demands release of prominent figures

Israeli media, citing officials, said on February 7 that “Hamas’s request to stop all military operations in Gaza cannot be accepted,” noting that the Palestinian movement is demanding the release of 1,500 prisoners, some of whom are prominent figures.

The Hamas movement had proposed a ceasefire plan that would calm the bombing that the Gaza Strip has been subjected to for 4 and a half months, leading to an end to the war, in response to a proposal conveyed last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators and which has the support of the United States and Israel, Sky News Arabia reports.

A draft document seen by Reuters indicated that Hamas’s proposal includes three stages, each lasting 45 days.

The proposal stipulates that the remaining Israeli detainees who were detained by the movement on October 7 will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

It also stipulates the start of the reconstruction of Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the exchange of bodies and remains.

According to Hamas's draft response, "Israeli detainees, women and children, under the age of 19 who are not conscripted, the elderly and the sick, will be released in exchange for all prisoners in occupation prisons, women, children, the elderly, over 50 years old, and the sick, who were arrested until the date of signing this agreement, without exception," according to Reuters.

The remaining male detainees will be released during the second phase, and the bodies and remains will be exchanged in the third phase. By the end of the third phase, Hamas expects the two sides to reach an agreement on ending the war.

In an annex to the proposal, Hamas said it wants the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, "500 of whom Hamas names from life sentences and high sentences."

The truce would also increase the flow of food and other aid to civilians in Gaza who are facing hunger and severe shortages of basic supplies.

The bloodiest round of fighting in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, flattened entire neighbourhoods, driven the vast majority of Gaza's population from their homes, and pushed a quarter of the Strip's population to the brink of famine.

The United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt have proposed a multi-week ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the gradual release of Hamas detainees.