Hamas responds to US-led Gaza deal with offer to release 10 hostages

Group says it will release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli airstrike as Palestinians fleeing Jabaliya move with their belongings in Gaza City, Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Hamas said on Saturday that it had submitted its response to a proposal presented by Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to mediators, the most concrete sign of progress towards a ceasefire since March.

The Palestinian group said in a statement that under the deal, it would release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners. The response included a demand for an end to the war, which had previously been a red line for Israel.