Hamas says ‘ball is in Israel’s court’ after making hostage offer

GAZA CITY – Hamas said on March 15 that “the ball is in Israel’s court” after offering to release an Israeli-US hostage and return the bodies of four others as part of Gaza truce talks.

Following the offer on March 14, Israel said the Palestinian militants had “not budged a millimetre” after a proposal from US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.

The first phase of the truce, which began in January, ended on March 1

without agreement on next steps.

A Hamas official said negotiations began in Doha on March 11.

“The ball is in Israel’s court,” a Hamas spokesman said.

“We want to solidify the ceasefire agreement and force (Israel) to implement its terms,” Mr Abdul Latif al-Qanou told AFP, accusing Tel Aviv of “delaying” its enforcement.

He pointed to the ongoing

blockage of humanitarian aid entering Gaza

since March 2.

A Hamas political bureau member, speaking anonymously, told AFP the proposal to release

21-year-old soldier Edan Alexander

– abducted during Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023 attack – and return the bodies of four other Israeli-American hostages was part of a “unique agreement”.

In exchange, Israel would free Palestinian prisoners, with the number still under negotiation, the official said.

The official added that the proposed exchange was conditioned with simultaneously starting negotiations for the implementation of the truce’s second phase, with the talks ending within a 50-day period.

The proposal also called for the immediate opening of all border crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Philadelphi corridor, he said.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 14 accused Hamas of resorting to “manipulation and psychological warfare”.

The office said he would meet on March 15 with several ministers “to receive a detailed report from the negotiation team and decide next steps towards freeing the hostages”.

The White House on March 14 accused Hamas of making “entirely impractical” demands and “making a very bad bet that time is on its side”.

During the truce’s initial six-week phase which

came into effect on Jan 19,

militants released 33 hostages, including eight who were dead, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

There are still 58 hostages held in Gaza, 34 of whom the Israeli army has declared dead. AFP