Hamas has warned that no Israeli hostages would be released without Israel making a “serious deal” with the group and that it will determine the terms.
Newsweek has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office and the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
The comments raise new doubts over prospects of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. President Donald Trump has been pushing for a Gaza ceasefire and this week held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. But Hamas has pushed back on Trump‘s optimistic tone, saying it will not disarm and leave Gaza — an Israeli demand that has U.S. support.
A ceasefire would see an immediate halt to the fighting for at least 60 days and the release of hostages — alive and deceased — in batches, in addition to the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo
What To Know
“Gaza will not surrender… and it is the resistance that will set the terms, just as it imposed the equations,” senior Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said Israeli leaders have failed to release their hostages through military force. “It has become clear that the only path to their release is through a serious deal with the resistance,” he added.
Trump said on July 1 Israel had agreed to finalize a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza after discussions with U.S. officials, telling reporters days later he believed a Gaza deal was “close.”
Hamas accuses Israel and the U.S. of trying to displace Gazans, while Israel has expanded its presence and signaled it may not fully withdraw after the war.
A total of 50 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip of the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people. Israeli authorities say 20 of the hostages are still alive. Hamas-run health authorities report over 57,000 Palestinian deaths since 2023 in the Israel’s response.
Meanwhile, a humanitarian crisis is worsening, according to aid agencies. UN agencies have warned of a near-collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system, widespread food insecurity, and severe risks to children‘s survival amid ongoing displacement and bombardment.
What People Are Saying
Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq, in Wednesday statement, translated from Arabic: “Netanyahu’s statement about “the release of all hostages and Hamas’ surrender” reflects psychological defeat, not the realities on the ground.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement published Wednesday by his office on X: “But we are determined to achieve all of our objectives: The release of all of our hostages – the living and the deceased, and the elimination of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, thereby ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel.”
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House on Tuesday: “We’re in proximity talks now, and we had four issues, and now we’re down to one after two days of proximity talks. So we are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire.”
What Happens Next
The next steps hinge on how the U.S. and Israel respond to Hamas’ reply delivered to mediators, with further discussions expected to follow.
