A Paris proposal to release Hamas’s Israeli hostages and to reach a ceasefire is likely to move ahead, according to a senior Israeli official. On Tuesday, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh said he received the proposal and stated the organization “is in the process of studying the proposal and submitting a response.” However, Israel’s full security cabinet has not yet been presented with the terms of the deal. Israel also anticipates the war will last through all of 2024 or longer.
Now that nearly four months have passed since the October 7 massacre and the kidnapping of hundreds, Israel must feel a growing sense of urgency to rescue these hostages. Hamas’s demands have been unreasonable during wartime negotiations, which included a requirement to release three Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage during the first ceasefire. Israel now must figure out how to save the hostages who have already spent four torturous months in the grip of terrorists without compromising its ability to destroy Hamas.
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