Israel demands release of all Gaza hostages, casting doubt on ceasefire proposal

On Tuesday afternoon, an Egyptian source familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that the mediators had not yet received a formal response from Israel to the new proposal.

However, the official in Prime Minister Netanyahu's office told Israeli journalists: "Israel's policy remains consistent and unchanged. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles set by the cabinet to end the war."

"We are in the final stage of defeating Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind."

Although the statement was not an explicit rejection of the proposal, it does suggest that Israel may want to negotiate further.

On Saturday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office put out a similar statement saying that Israel would only "agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go" and that the conditions for ending the war included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance.

Netanyahu said in a video on Monday that he had discussed with senior Israeli military commanders their "plans regarding Gaza City and the completion of our missions".

"Like you, I hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression - Hamas is under immense pressure," he added.

The prime minister himself faces pressure from his far-right coalition partners who want to keep the war going until Hamas's defeat and then annex Gaza.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel must not accept a partial deal "that abandons half of the hostages and that could lead to the suspension of the war in defeat".

"It is forbidden to surrender and give a lifeline to the enemy," he added.

Hostages' families and a majority of the Israeli public meanwhile want Netanyahu to agree a deal with Hamas to end the war now and bring all the hostages home.

"About a month ago, we were closer than ever to signing a deal. The Witkoff outline would have put Israel into intensive negotiations," Einav Zangauker, whose 25-year-old son Matan is believed to be among those still alive in captivity, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan.

"Netanyahu... is deliberately setting unworkable conditions as an obstacle," she warned.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 62,064 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Most of Gaza's population has also been displaced multiple times; more than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed; the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed; and UN-backed global food security experts have warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" due to food shortages.