prisoner swap

Arab reports: Egypt extracted promise to delay Rafah operation

While Hamas' response to the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire-prisoner swap deal will almost certainly be negative, Israel has promised to delay an operation in Rafah, sources say.

Report:

Prisoner swap agreement doesn't include IDF withdrawal from Gaza

Hamas source says terror group 'still examining proposal for a ceasefire; Blinken's words are an attempt to pressure Hamas.'

Hamas sources:

Egyptian proposal is the best presented so far

Arab reports detail compromises Israel agreed to make in deal which would see a ceasefire in exchange for hostages' release.

Report:

Hamas response to prisoner swap deal expected Wednesday evening

Hamas leadership in Gaza passes its response to Hamas leadership abroad; Israeli delegation won't take off for Cairo yet.

Negotiations to free hostages:

Qatar promised to remove Hamas leaders - and didn't do it

Qatar should have announced that if Hamas did not progress towards prisoner swap deal, its leaders would be removed from Doha - but failed to keep its commitment, or to explain the decision to backtrack.

Israeli source to CNN:

'For every freed hostage - one day of ceasefire'

Hamas still examining Egyptian proposal for ceasefire, hostage swap deal, which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a cessation of fighting in Gaza.

Min. Chikli: I'll oppose a deal, we can't stop the war

Diaspora Min. Amichai Chikli promises to oppose the proposed prisoner swap deal, which includes a complete cessation of the war against Hamas.

Report:

New hostage deal forces significant compromises on Israel's part

Journalist Barak Ravid reports that the new offer for a prisoner swap deal includes significant compromises from Israel, including expression of willingness to discuss ending the war in Gaza.

Hamas official reveals: Military arm holding 30 IDF soldiers

Captive soldiers are 'in high-security locations, impossible to reach under any circumstances,' Hamas official tells media outlet.

Hamas now offering to release just 20 hostages

Senior official says after Hamas rejected the latest ceasefire proposals, it offered to release half the number of hostages while demanding Israel free murderers.

Report:

Hamas unsure of whether it has 40 live hostages for prisoner swap

Does Hamas have enough living hostages to make a deal with Israel? Maybe not.

Hamas insisting on assurance that war will end

Hamas terror group unafraid and prepared for Israeli operation in Gaza, plans to reject hostage deal due to insistence on permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal of IDF from Gaza, Al Akhbar says.

Haredi MK:

Hostage deal? 'We're trying not to get into that'

MK Pindrus says his party is not part of the bodies charged with making decisions on a prisoner swap.

Proposal:

Condition negotiations on US commitment to support Rafah op.

Diplomatic-Security Cabinet to discuss proposal which would condition progress in hostage deal negotiations on a US commitment to support Israel's operation in Rafah.

Hamas: No progress on talks for hostage deal

Hamas official claims 'no change' in Israel's position, insists there will be 'no flexibility' over terror group's 'main demands,' Reuters reports.

Report:

US promised Egypt: No Rafah op before mid-May

Reports say Israel promised not to conduct Rafah ground operation before May, has changed its position on number, identities, of terrorists to be released in prisoner swap.

Mediators must act vigorously, push Hamas to prisoner swap

Israeli negotiating team formulated updated prisoner swap proposal, mediators must take 'vigorous action regarding Hamas' to bring a deal to fruition, Prime Minister's Office says.

Report:

Israel agrees to swap terrorists for soldiers' bodies

Sources say Israel agreed to release re-arrested 'Shalit deal' terrorists in exchange for the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who fell in 2014's Operation Protective Edge.

'Alive or dead'

Herzog: We must get to Sinwar to free the hostages

'We must get to Sinwar - either alive or dead - so that we can see the hostages back home,' Israel's Pres. Herzog says.

Hamas' ultimate goal:

A forced ceasefire, without a hostage deal

UN Security Council resolution 'will isolate the State of Israel even more,' Israel's response to prisoner swap proposal 'does not answer any of the basic demands,' Hamas officials say.

Israeli official claims:

700 terrorists in exchange for 40 hostages

Israeli official says Israel agreed to release 100 terrorists serving life sentences in exchange for less than one-third of the hostages still in Gaza.

Hamas source claims negotiations for ceasefire collapsed

'Hamas position is stable, and it will never agree to accept the agreement Tel Aviv has put forward in a surrender deal,' source says.

Israel clarifies: No breakthrough on prisoner swap

Israeli delegation agrees to US-proposed compromise on ratio of terrorists to hostages to be released in prisoner swap.

Rally for hostages: 'They won't return without a deal'

Released hostages Adina Moshe speaks at rally for hostages' release, claims PM Netanyahu 'abandoned' her.

New details emerge on potential hostage swap

Israel agreed to allow residents of northern Gaza to return home as part of prisoner swap deal, report claims.

Report:

Sinwar now managing hostage deal negotiations

Hamas leaders abroad have no authority to make decisions, 'every comma, every period, will take 24-36 hours,' source says.

Report:

CIA chief held secret Cairo meeting last week

CIA chief William Burns paid secret visit to Cairo before meeting with Mossad chief David Barnea, report says.

Mossad:

'Hamas uninterested in deal, aims to ignite region'

Mossad chief David Barnea meets CIA chief William Burns, in attempt to advance prisoner swap deal, free hostages.

Arab report claims:

Prisoner swap negotiations stalled because of Israel

Negotiations for prisoner swap stalled after Israel insisted on hostage release happening first, Arab report claims.

Report:

Hamas won't compromise on archterrorist's release

Jordanian news outlet says Hamas won't compromise on Marwan Barghouti's release, complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Source:

Sinwar prefers condemnation of Israel over Gazans

Hamas decided not to provide any details on two central issues: an updated list of hostages, and the number of terrorists to be released in any prisoner swap deal, source says.

Negotiations crisis:

Israel won't send delegation to Cairo

Representatives of Qatar, the US, and the Hamas terror group arrive in Cairo to negotiate a prisoner swap; following Hamas' partial response, Israel announces that it will not send a representative to the talks.

US official on hostage deal: Ball is in Hamas' court

Israel has agreed to hostage deal, progress on deal and ceasefire now depend on Hamas' agreement, US official says.

Former Amb. Friedman:

'Biden committed negotiating malpractice'

Former ambassador David Friedman denounced US President Joe Biden's ice cream shop talk about the hostage negotiations.

Report: Hamas examining proposed prisoner swap deal

Second stage of hostage deal to be negotiated separately from first stage; first stage to see release of just 40 hostages.

Lapid:

We'll provide a security net for a hostage deal

Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid says Yesh Atid won't join emergency government, but may provide government with security net for hostage deal - under certain conditions.

Watch:

Biden eats ice cream while discussing hostages

US Pres. Biden is asked about hostage deal - while eating ice cream. 'National Security Adviser tells me that we're close.'

Cabinet to decide:

Merchandise to northern Gaza? Only as part of a deal

Harsh criticism leads War Cabinet to rescind decision to approve humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, instead tying it to a prisoner swap deal.

National Security Council chief:

We demand immediate release of all the women

National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi says Israel demanding 'release of all hostages, and immediate release of all the women,' promises Israel will destroy 'all of Hamas' battalions.'

Netanyahu: We will approve plans for Rafah operation

PM Netanyahu says Cabinet will meet to approve plans for Rafah operation, evacuation of Gaza civilians.

10 terrorists for every 1 hostage:

All the details of the proposed prisoner swap

Document reveals: Prisoner swap would see release of around 40 women, elderly, and ailing, in exchange for hundreds of convicted terrorists; six-week ceasefire.

US to propose:

Hostage release in exchange for Ramadan ceasefire

Ceasefire proposal would see cessation of fighting during Ramadan in exchange for release of hostages, report says.

Qatari PM:

Hostage release shouldn't be condition for ceasefire

Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani says he hopes prisoner swap deal will happen soon, ceasefire shouldn't be conditioned on hostages' release.

Hamas claims: Israel agreed to 42-day ceasefire

Hamas source claims Israel agreed to 42-day ceasefire, release of terrorists with lengthy prison sentences, and exit of injured Gazans.

Talks on prisoner swap renew - without Israel

Following PM Netanyahu's decision not to return delegation to Cairo, negotiations on prisoner swap deal continue - without Israel's presence.

PA chief to Hamas:

Reach a prisoner swap deal quickly

All sides bear responsibility for failure to reach prisoner swap agreement until now, Palestinian Authority chairman Abbas says.

Lebanese report:

Israel proposes: Free civilians and female soldiers

Israeli delegation to Cairo offered deal similar to November 2023 prisoner swap, report says.

Report:

This is Hamas' prisoner exchange proposal

The proposal calls for an immediate halt to all Israeli military activity in Gaza and the release of more than 1500 Palestinian prisoners.

Former ISA Official:

'We should have wiped them out long ago'

Former ISA official Micah Kobi warns against releasing terrorists, saying that Israel already knows where such a step leads.

Former Mossad chief:

Prisoner swap? Only in one stage

Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen warns prisoner swap may 'never end' if it is spread over more than one stage.

Hamas delaying response to prisoner swap offer

Arab media reports: Hamas inclined to accept prisoner swap deal, even though it does not include cessation of fighting.

New prisoner swap?

150 terrorists per female soldier, 6-week ceasefire

Reports say new prisoner swap deal would see Gaza hospitals, bakeries, reopen, and give Gazans freedom of movement throughout entire Strip.

Ben-Gvir applauds new exchange proposal

The National Security Minister called the deal 'proof that the War Cabinet is internalizing my opinion.'

Report:

Israel agrees to six-week ceasefire for all hostages

Israel has signaled its agreement to a plan that would see all civilian hostages released in exchange for a two-month lull in the fighting in Gaza.

Hamas leader:

'Open to any proposal that leads to end of war'

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says terror group received Paris summit proposal, has not rejected it outright.

Saudi normalization deal in exchange for end of war?

New proposal for prisoner swap offers promise of Israel-Saudi Arabia normalization - if Israel agrees not to dismantle Hamas.

Plane carrying Ukrainian POWs crashes, no survivors

65 Ukrainian POWs are thought to have died in the crash, along with nine other individuals, as they were on their way to release as part of a prisoner exchange.

Red Cross claims:

'Both Israel and Hamas refuse prisoner visits'

The Red Cross's Middle East director says that the decision from both sides is unacceptable.

Smotrich demands Cabinet meeting over prisoner deal

The demand comes amid growing rumors of a prisoner exchange deal that will include an extended ceasefire.

Marwan Barghouti may be released in hostage deal

Several foreign intermediaries are cautiously optimistic about a new prisoner swap plan with Hamas.