Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said negotiations are underway to release ten Israeli captives held in Gaza, even as Hamas declared its readiness to release all captives in exchange for a comprehensive prisoner swap and guarantees to end the war.
The developments come ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned Middle East tour, with reports suggesting he wants a ceasefire deal, whether temporary or permanent, finalised before his arrival. Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE as early as mid-May, marking his first foreign trip of his second term.
Netanyahu and Gal Hirsch, the Israeli government’s coordinator for hostage affairs, met with families of captives held in Gaza and confirmed that discussions are taking place for the release of ten of them at once, according to Israeli media.
During a conversation with Tzvika and Efrat Mor, parents of hostage Eitan Mor, Netanyahu said his government was committed to securing the release of all captives held in Gaza, though he acknowledged the deal was not yet final.
The Mor family urged Netanyahu to bring all captives home "in one bus", echoing the demands of the Tikvah Forum, a coalition of hostage families pressing for a collective release rather than phased deals.
A senior Israeli official, speaking anonymously to Channel 12, said that while no breakthrough had yet occurred, "significant developments" were underway. US and Israeli officials have reportedly told families that a deal could be reached within two weeks, with Israel pushing for the release of at least eight living captives in the current talks.
Hamas offers full exchange, accuses Israel of stalling
In a parallel development, a senior Hamas official said on Monday that the group was ready to release all Israeli captives in return for some key demands.
"We are ready to release all Israeli captives in exchange for a serious prisoner swap deal, an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid," Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu told AFP.
However, Nunu accused Israel of obstructing progress. "The issue is not the number of captives," he said, "but that the occupation is reneging on its commitments, blocking the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and continuing the war."
He added that Hamas would not agree to disarm, stating: "The weapons of the resistance are not up for negotiation."
Hamas negotiators left Cairo on Monday following indirect talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the United States also involved in efforts to broker a ceasefire. Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that a new proposal had been submitted to Hamas: Ten living hostages in exchange for US guarantees that Israel would enter talks for a second phase of the ceasefire.
The first phase of the truce, which began on 19 January and included several hostage-prisoner exchanges, lasted two months before Israel violated it and resumed the war. Since then, negotiations have faltered, mainly due to disagreements over the number of hostages to be released. Fifty-eight people are still believed to be held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are no longer alive.
Hostage families warn against phased releases
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has again criticised phased negotiations, warning they endanger those still in captivity.
"The phased method wastes valuable time and jeopardises all of the hostages," the group said in a statement. "We demand to choose the necessary, feasible, and appropriate solution: ending the war and returning all the hostages together, in one immediate phase."
On Sunday, Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a video of Israeli-American soldier Idan Alexander, in which he expressed disappointment with both the Israeli government and US authorities over failed efforts to secure his release. He also revealed that Israeli airstrikes had struck dangerously close to where he is being held.
His adoptive father, Doron Zaksar, told Kan Reshet Bet radio: "The video shook me. We fear he'll lose hope and break down. I go mad when I hear talk of siege and combat. Haven’t they learned anything? Military pressure is killing the hostages."
Since the collapse of the ceasefire on 18 March, at least 1,613 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the overall death toll since the start of Israel's indiscriminate war on the enclave to at least 50,983, according to Gaza's health ministry. The toll does not include those who remain under the rubble or those who were reported missing.