An Israeli source revealed today, Tuesday, that Hamas has reduced the number of hostages it wishes to release in the first phase of a potential ceasefire agreement to less than half. In its latest proposal, Hamas offered to release fewer than 20 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire lasting 6 weeks, which represents a significant step back in negotiations, reducing the originally discussed number of 40 hostages that had been the basis for negotiations for several months.
The source, according to CNN, stated that Hamas also called for the release of more Palestinians from Israeli prisons in exchange for fewer hostages, as well as an increased number of Palestinians serving life sentences. The latest proposal from Hamas indicates that the movement's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, does not want to reach an agreement and seeks to exploit the differences between the United States and Israel regarding Israeli military operations in Gaza to pressure the Israeli government.
A senior U.S. official confirmed that Hamas has informed mediators it has only about 20 hostages who are women, sick, injured, or elderly and added that the movement is focusing on these twenty in the first phase of the potential ceasefire agreement. However, Israeli and American officials have repeatedly stated that they expected Hamas to release 40 hostages, and now Hamas claims it does not have enough living hostages, according to the American official.
