Hamas says ready to release all captives for Gaza war end, rejects Israeli demand to disarm

CAIRO – 18 April 2025: Hamas chief Khalil Al-Hayya on Thursday said they are ready to begin immediate “comprehensive package” talks for Gaza ceasefire, which includes the release of all captives for an end to the war.

He slammed the “impossible conditions” set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to a recent ceasefire proposal by the mediators, reiterating rejection of Tel Aviv's demand for the group to disarm.

“The movement is ready to begin immediate negotiations for a comprehensive package, which includes the release of all prisoners held by the resistance and an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners in occupation jails,” Hayya said.

In return, Israel will have to permanently halt the war and fully withdraw from Gaza, allowing reconstruction to start and lifting the blockade, he added.

TEMPORARY TRUCE, DISARMAMENT

Hayya’s remarks come while Israel has proposed a 45-day ceasefire, during which a number of captives will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli proposal does not meet Hamas’ main condition that any ceasefire proposal must guarantee an end to the war and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.

Instead, Hamas and Israel would negotiate a permanent end to the war and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has consistently referred to its weapons as a “red line,” firmly rejecting any demands to disarm, making acceptance of such an offer highly unlikely.

“Resistance and its weaponry are linked to the existence of the occupation and are a natural right for our people and all peoples under occupation,” Hayya said.

He said that their “comprehensive package” suggestion counters partial proposals that the Israeli government uses as “a cover for their political agenda … even at the cost of sacrificing all their captives.”

“We will not be part of facilitating this policy,” he emphasized.

CAPTIVES' FATE

Hamas continues to hold 59 captives, with at least 22 believed to be alive, and has expressed readiness to release all remaining captives in one go for an end to the war.

Meanwhile, Israel has only shown willingness to accept a temporary truce for the release of captives from Gaza, without any commitment to end the war.

On March 18, Israeli forces resumed the war in Gaza, shattering a ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US, and killing over 1,600 Palestinian, predominantly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The original multi-phase ceasefire agreement, which took effect in January, led to the release of 38 captives held by Hamas, 30 of them alive, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, under the first phase.

Israel, however, has refused to move to the second phase of the agreement, which included a permanent end to the war in exchange for the release of all captives, living and dead.