Hamas Open to 5-Year Gaza Truce, One-Time Release of All Hostages

Its delegation is meeting Egyptian mediators on ending the 18-month war

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CAIRO - Hamas is open to an agreement to end the Gaza war that would see all hostages released and secure a five-year truce, an official said on April 26 ahead of talks with mediators.

A Hamas delegation was in Cairo to discuss with Egyptian mediators ways out of the 18-month war, as on-the-ground rescuers said an Israeli strike on a family home in Gaza City killed at least 10 people, with more feared buried under the rubble.

The Hamas official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the Palestinian militant group "is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years".

The latest bid to seal a ceasefire follows an Israeli proposal which Hamas had rejected earlier in April as "partial", calling instead for a "comprehensive" agreement to halt the war ignited by the group's attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

The Israeli offer included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.