In a gambit to cling to power, Hamas says it would strike a deal with Israel that would leave it ruling Gaza under the protection of an internationally guaranteed five-year truce, according to sources cited by international media outlets. Under the proposed agreement, Hamas would release all remaining Israeli hostages in a single exchange—one of Israel’s key demands since the brutal October 7, 2023, massacre that ignited the current war. The latest maneuver comes after Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire offer earlier this month, dismissing it as “partial” and insisting instead on a “comprehensive” arrangement to end the fighting. Israel, for its part, has remained firm: no final deal without the full return of the hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’s terrorist military infrastructure—conditions that Hamas has flatly declared as a “red line.” An earlier Israeli proposal offered a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages. Hamas rebuffed that offer as insufficient. More than a month into Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza, launched after a temporary two-month ceasefire collapsed, Hamas negotiators indicated they are now willing to discuss “new ideas” during ongoing talks in Cairo. Still, deep skepticism remains over whether the jihadist group would truly comply with any disarmament, even under international supervision. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)