Peace of forces: Hamas approves Egypt's Gaza plan amid protests

The Hamas movement has agreed to an Egyptian proposal to exchange hostages held in the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, they claim that they are ready to release five prisoners, while Israel demands the release of 11. Problematic points remain in the negotiations, concerning not only the number of released persons, but also the demilitarization and removal of the group from power in the exclave. Against the background of the IDF strikes and deteriorating conditions in Gaza, the first large-scale protests against the Palestinian movement unfolded. What forced Hamas to agree to the release of five abducted Israelis is in the Izvestia article.

Negotiations between Hamas and Israel

Hamas has agreed to a new Egyptian prisoner exchange plan, CNN reports. The Palestinian movement is ready to release five hostages, including Idan Alexander, a citizen of the United States and Israel, in exchange for an extension of the truce. However, it remains unclear whether this will lead to real progress in the negotiations or whether the parties will reach an impasse again.

According to member of the Politburo Khalil al-Haya, the movement reacted positively to the proposal of the mediators and accepted its terms. He also stressed that Hamas strictly adhered to the agreements on the first stage of the truce, and expressed the hope that Israel would not disrupt this initiative.

Israeli officials attribute the movement's willingness to make concessions to the ongoing military operation and strict restrictions on the import of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the Israel Hayom newspaper writes. In their opinion, it was this combination of military and economic pressure that forced the group to agree to the release of the five hostages.

—Israel will take all possible measures to free all our hostages and will exert maximum pressure on Hamas so that all the abducted people return home as soon as possible,— Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister, told Izvestia.

At the same time, according to Israel Hayom, Israel demands the release of 11 hostages, as well as the transfer of the bodies of about half of the dead prisoners.

— Steve Witkoff (Special Representative of the President of the United States for the Middle East. — Ed.), who oversees the negotiations, put forward a plan for the transfer of a group of hostages. Hamas stated that this issue should be resolved at a later stage, and refused. Then the mediators intervened and offered the rescue of five living hostages and 11 captive bodies in exchange for the immediate start of the second stage," Palestinian security expert Mohammed Al-Masri told Izvestia.

The disagreements concern not only the number of hostages being released, but also the conditions for their release. The main point of contention remains the future of the Gaza Strip. According to the original plan of the American special envoy Steve Witkoff, the 40-day truce was to be accompanied by negotiations on demilitarization and the removal of Hamas from power. In response, the movement's leadership demands that a cease-fire automatically mean the end of the war, the restoration of Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.

— Egypt and Qatar are currently working to find a compromise between the Witkoff plan and the Egyptian plan. The settlement of the issue may consist in the release of more than five, but less than ten hostages," said Mohammed Al-Masri.

It is important that Netanyahu wants to maintain Israeli security forces' control over security issues in Gaza. At the same time, one of his conditions remains the surrender of weapons and the withdrawal of Hamas, and the Palestinian side will not support this, the Palestinian expert notes.

Protests in Gaza against Hamas

Against the backdrop of Israeli strikes and deteriorating living conditions in the Gaza Strip, protests against Hamas have unfolded. Residents accuse the movement of continuing rocket attacks, which only provoke further attacks from Israel, and also demand that the Palestinian movement relinquish power in order to achieve a sustainable truce.

— We heard very important voices from local elders, businessmen and figures who said: "We are not against Hamas, we are against the rule of Hamas, because their rule has brought us to where we are now. The movement should transfer power to the Palestine Liberation Organization and stay away from the government," Mohammed Al-Masri said.

Unlike in previous years, this time the mass protests were not severely suppressed by the group, which many perceived as a sign of its weakening due to military losses.

Nevertheless, the fear of a possible answer remains. One of the organizers of the protests in eastern Gaza admitted to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that he expected a harsh reaction from Hamas, but was surprised by its absence. However, he fears that this is only a temporary tactic: the movement may return to persecuting activists as soon as it regains strength.

These concerns are confirmed by cases of attacks on protesters, in particular, the murder of a young activist, Uday ar-Rabbai, who took part in organizing actions against Hamas.

Resumption of hostilities

The first phase of the January ceasefire agreement ended on March 1. Three days later, Israel resumed massive airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, which led to an escalation of the conflict. In response, Hamas launched several rocket attacks on Israeli territory.

— No one can guarantee that Netanyahu will fulfill the agreement on his part, because the Israelis did not fulfill it at the first stage, they did not fulfill the agreement with Lebanon, they did not withdraw troops from there and violated the 1974 agreement with Syria. It is difficult to imagine that Israel will abide by the agreement if it is interested in its failure," said Mohammed Al-Masri.

Negotiations on the second phase of the agreement, which were supposed to form the basis for the final settlement and reconstruction of Gaza, have not led to success.

Steve Witkoff and his team tried to propose an interim solution, according to which the truce would be extended in exchange for the release of five hostages. But, as Witkoff stated, Hamas put forward unacceptable conditions, which led to the breakdown of the agreements.

Last week, U.S. Charge d'affaires to the United Nations Dorothy Shi openly supported Israeli actions, saying: "We will always be on Israel's side when it defends itself. Hamas bears full responsibility for the war and the resumption of hostilities. Every death could have been avoided if Hamas had accepted the truce offer." This position actually legitimizes the resumption of the war and makes the prospects for a peaceful settlement more and more vague.

The escalation of the situation in Gaza is taking place against the backdrop of another increase in tension in the region. The United States regularly strikes Houthi positions in Yemen, and President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with "unprecedented bombardments" if the parties do not reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

In Tehran, these statements were perceived as a threat to national security. In his speech marking the end of Ramadan, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any external aggression would be met with a harsh response, and attempts at destabilization from within would be suppressed by the Iranian people themselves.