Dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are alive, but Israel cannot accept ending the war until all the hostages are released in a deal, a senior Israeli negotiator told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.
Dozens “are alive with certainty,” he told AFP anonymously. “We cannot leave them there a long time, they will die.”
He additionally told AFP that they were being held largely by Hamas terrorists – this, in contrast to civilians or members of other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip such as, for example, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Hamas may “breach their commitment” if Israel does not wait until after hostages are released to end the war, the official said, and may “drag out the negotiations for 10 years.”
"We cannot, at this point in time -- before signing the agreement -- commit to ending the war," the official said to AFP.
He additionally said that the Israeli negotiating team had approved US President Joe Biden’s proposed hostage release plan and “are waiting for… Hamas to say ‘yes.’”
"In the event we don't reach an agreement with Hamas, the IDF will continue to fight in the Gaza Strip in a no less intense fashion than it's fighting now," he concluded in his interview with AFP.
What is President Biden’s proposed Israel-Hamas deal?
The Biden deal, as it has been commonly referred to as of late, is made up of three stages.
The first: A ceasefire and the release of women, elderly, and wounded hostages, as well as the bodies of some of those hostages that had been killed. There would be an exchange of Palestinian security prisoners and terrorists held in Israeli jails as well as Israeli withdrawal from populated areas in Gaza, allowing civilians there to return home. Humanitarian assistance would be distributed throughout the Gaza Strip.
The second: A permanent end to hostilities between Israel and Hamas in exchange for the release of the rest of the hostages. There would be a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from all of Gaza.
The third: A reconstruction plan spanning over several years would begin in Gaza.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.