Hamas denies agreeing to release 7-9 hostages in exchange for a two-month truce.

Hamas denied agreeing to the release of between seven and nine Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and a two-month truce, as previously reported on Sunday evening.

While CNN quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying, "We agreed to release 7-9 hostages in exchange for 300 (Palestinian) prisoners and a two-month truce," Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri denied agreeing to release nine prisoners in exchange for a two-month truce.

Abu Zuhri asserted that "the occupation is trying to confuse the arena with fake news, in order to pressure the resistance and pass off its crimes."

While Abu Zuhri denied the reports, he affirmed the movement's readiness "to release the prisoners en masse, provided the occupation commits to an international ceasefire."

According to Israeli Channel 12, Israel is demanding that any ceasefire agreement—i.e., a final, not partial, agreement—include the disarmament of Hamas, the removal of weapons from Gaza, the surrender of the movement, and the exile of its leaders.

The channel reported that Israel is offering to release "100 prisoners serving life sentences in exchange for half of the living hostages, and more than 1,000 prisoners arrested after October 7 in exchange for the dead hostages."

Israeli Channel 13 reported that the offer Israel presented to Hamas yesterday, Saturday, includes:

10 live hostages, half of the dead hostages, to be released on the same day.

60-day ceasefire.

Humanitarian aid will be delivered immediately after the agreement is signed.

According to the same report, Hamas's demands are:

US President Donald Trump announces a ceasefire.

Trump personally guarantees that Israel will not resume firing after the hostages are released.

US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, will sign the agreement himself.

The channel's report stated that Israel agreed to withdraw from the territories it occupied during its operation since the resumption of the war, noting that it was "prepared to discuss ending the war within the days of the ceasefire."

The report also noted that Tel Aviv "will not agree to withdraw from the Philadelphi and Netzarim axes."

According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (“Kan 11”), the Israeli proposal presented to the mediators stipulates that:

Half of the living Israeli prisoners are released on the first day.

A sixty-day ceasefire, after which all hostages will be released.

During the ceasefire, the conditions for ending the war will be fulfilled, which include disarming the Gaza Strip and displacing Hamas leaders from it, as part of its end.

Witkov presented a new proposal a few days ago, putting pressure on Hamas and Israel.
According to the Walla news website, White House envoy Steve Witkoff presented an updated proposal to Israel and Hamas "a few days ago" for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza, and is "pressuring both sides to accept it," according to an Israeli official and a source the website's report described as familiar with the details.

The report indicated that the Trump administration "is trying to prevent a large-scale Israeli military operation in Gaza, release more hostages, and allow humanitarian aid to enter, to prevent famine and a humanitarian catastrophe."

Although "Israel and Hamas have two negotiating teams in Doha, the real talks on Witkoff's proposal are currently taking place through other channels," the sources said. This comes as Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stressed on Sunday that reaching a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas does not mean an end to the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for more than 18 months. He indicated that the occupation army's operation, dubbed "Gideon's Wagons," will continue until Hamas is defeated and its combat capabilities are broken.

An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday evening that the army would "expand operational control" over several areas in Gaza and work to tear the Strip apart.

He stated that "five military divisions are currently operating in the Gaza Strip," adding that his operations are based on the following principles: "cleansing the area under our control, eliminating the enemy's infrastructure there, both above and below ground, transferring residents from combat zones to other areas, and eliminating Hamas's chain of command."