Hamas Rejects Israel's Ceasefire Offer, Proposes Full Hostage Swap and End to War

Hamas has officially turned down Israel's latest ceasefire proposal, saying it won't accept a partial deal that, in their words, only helps Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political goals.

In a video message, Hamas' chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the group is open to a full deal that would swap all remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners and bring an end to the war. “We will not accept partial deals that serve Netanyahu’s agenda,” he stated.

Israel had offered a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for 10 hostages, but Hamas says that’s not enough. They claim Netanyahu is using these small deals to avoid fully ending the conflict. Currently, 59 hostages remain, with 24 believed to be alive. 

Meanwhile, violence continues in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 37 people in the latest attacks, many of them civilians living in tents. Eyewitnesses from al-Mawasi, a supposed “safe zone” described scenes of tents catching fire and children dying after a strong explosion..

The Israeli military said it was checking the reports but claimed to have hit over 100 Hamas-related targets in the past two days, including military sites and infrastructure. Israel previously told Palestinians to move to al-Mawasi for safety, raising more concern over these strikes.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to Hamas’ rejection by saying it's time to “open the gates of hell” on the group, a strong signal that the conflict may escalate further.

Despite Israel’s claims that there is no shortage of aid, 12 major aid organizations have warned that the humanitarian system in Gaza is on the brink of collapse, with no new aid getting in due to a blockade enforced since March 1.