Hostage negotiations

Hamas backs away from central demand

Rally for Hamas hostages in London(Bild: APA/AFP/JUSTIN TALLIS)

Has another knot been untied in the negotiations over the release of hostages? The radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas has apparently given up its demand for a "complete and permanent ceasefire".

A senior representative said on Sunday that Hamas' demand that Israel agree to "a complete and permanent ceasefire" in order to begin talks on an exchange of hostages for prisoners was "outdated". 

USA: "There is still considerable work to be done"
The Hamas representative went on to explain that the mediators from the Gulf emirate of Qatar had promised "that the ceasefire would remain in force for the duration of the negotiations". On Friday, a high-ranking US official had already stated that a new proposal from Hamas was advancing the process and could form the basis for the conclusion of an agreement, even if there was still "considerable work" to be done.  

The negotiations, which have been ongoing for months, have recently stalled. Hamas has so far demanded an immediate end to the war on the part of Israel in return for the release of hostages. Israel, on the other hand, wants to keep the option of continuing the war open in order to crush Hamas as a military formation and governing power in the Gaza Strip.

War has been going on for ten months
The war between Israel and Hamas has now been going on for ten months. On October 7, fighters from Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli reports, around 1200 people were brutally killed in the attack and 251 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. In response to the attack, Israel has since taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to figures released by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health on Sunday, which cannot be independently verified, 38,150 people have been killed so far.