Israel offers Gaza truce in exchange for 30 hostages

Israel is offering a new one week Gaza truce to release more than 30 hostages held by Hamas in the besieged city, Axios reported on Wednesday.

According to Axios, Israeli officials said that the proposal was made through Qatari mediators.

“Israeli officials say the proposal shows Israel is determined to relaunch serious negotiations for the release of more hostages, even as Hamas has said it will not resume negotiations as long as the fighting continues,” Axios said.

Axios’ report details a meeting in Warsaw discussing a potential truce between CIA director Bill Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.

The Israeli proposal includes: the release of the remaining women, along with men over 60, and other hostages who are sick or seriously wounded.

Axios report also said that Israel will release some of the Palestinian hostages held in Israeli prisons, with officials saying: “there are dozens of such Palestinian prisoners who are old or sick, and who could be released as part of a humanitarian deal.”