Amid Israel’s preparations for Operation Gideon’s Chariots 2, Hamas claimed in an announcement on Wednesday evening that it is ready to discuss a comprehensive deal that would include the return of all hostages and an end to the war.
"The Hamas Movement is still awaiting the response of the zionist enemy to the proposal presented by the mediators to the Movement on August 18th, which the Movement and Palestinian factions have agreed to," the terrorist group stated.
"In this context, the Movement reiterates its readiness to proceed with a comprehensive deal, under which all of the enemy's captives held by the resistance would be released, in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners held by the occupation, as part of an agreement that ends the war on the Gaza Strip, withdraws all occupation forces from the entire Strip, opens the crossings for the entry of all the Strip's needs, and begins the reconstruction process," it added.
"The Movement also reiterates its approval for the formation of an independent national administration of technocrats to manage all affairs of the Gaza Strip and immediately assume its responsibilities in all fields," it concluded.
The statement comes as Israel mobilizes forces for a potential advance on Gaza City, amid Hamas’s concerns over the city’s possible capture.
Israel's leaders and US President Donald Trump have rejected partial deals under which Hamas would continue to hold multiple hostages captive in Gaza and have demanded a comprehensive deal to free all of the remaining 48 hostages.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed the Hamas announcement. "Hamas continues to close its eyes and utter empty words, but it will soon realize that it must choose between two options: accept Israel's conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and disarmament, or Gaza will become equivalent to Rafah and Beit Hanoun."
"The IDF is preparing at full strength," Katz said.
The Prime Minister's Office said in response, "Unfortunately, this is more spin by Hamas that has nothing new.
The war could end immediately on the conditions set by the Security Cabinet:
1. All hostages are released.
2. Hamas is disarmed.
3. The Strip is demilitarized.
4. Israel has security control in the Strip.
5. An alternative civil administration is established that does not educate for terrorism, dispatch terrorists or threaten Israel.
Only these conditions will prevent Hamas from rearming and returning to the massacre of October 7 again and again as it has promised."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded, "To ensure we no longer have to respond to Hamas's empty statements, Hamas must cease to exist. This should be the only response to these Nazi terrorists: choose between complete surrender, including total disarmament, voluntary departure from the Gaza Strip, and the immediate return of all hostages - without any exchange involving the release of thousands of Sinwars from prisons - or face total destruction."