In the interest of ending the war, Hamas—the armed political group that controls the Gaza Strip—has agreed to the formation of an administration run by neutral technocrats in Gaza. The group’s high command announced this in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement said, “On August 18, mediators proposed forming a neutral, technocrat-based administration to govern Gaza. Hamas’s high command has agreed to that proposal. Now we are waiting for Israel’s response.”
“At the same time, we are ready to release all Israeli hostages; however, in exchange, the Palestinians still imprisoned in Israel must be freed. The number of Palestinian prisoners to be released can be determined through negotiation.”
“Hamas has agreed to the establishment of a neutral administrative structure to govern Gaza primarily for the sake of a ceasefire. The new administration will handle all issues related to the Gaza Strip. In return, Hamas demands that Israel halt its military operations in Gaza, withdraw all occupying troops from the territory, reopen border crossings for food and aid deliveries, and begin reconstruction efforts in Gaza.”
Shortly after Hamas issued the statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a counterstatement rejecting the proposal.
Calling Hamas’s offer a “play on words,” Netanyahu’s office stated:
“The Israeli wartime cabinet has set certain conditions. Once those are met, the war will end immediately. The conditions are: all hostages must be released immediately; Hamas must surrender its weapons; Gaza must be demilitarized; its security will remain under Israel’s control; and a civilian government must be established there that will refrain from inciting terrorism and never become a threat to Israel.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters crossed into Israeli territory, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 others as hostages. In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that same day to rescue the hostages and retaliate—an operation that is still ongoing.
So far, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 50,000 injured in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. After two years of continuous bombardment, the territory has turned into ruins. Strict Israeli restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, and aid trucks have created a severe humanitarian crisis.
Israel claims that of the hostages taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023, at least 20 are still alive.
