Israel Willing to Grant Hamas Amnesty if They Release Hostages and Leave Gaza

What Happened?

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time said he would be willing to grant Hamas amnesty if they released all remaining hostages and left Gaza for good. During an interview with Fox News, Mr. Netanyahu said, ‘If Hamas leaders, for example, are escorted out of the country, yeah, if they finish the war, release all the hostages, we’ll let them out.’ 

According to The Telegraph, plans leaked on Sunday indicated U.S. President Trump would be willing to guarantee Hamas leaders safe passage from Gaza if the hostages being held are released within two days of Israel agreeing to the deal. Israel would then be required to free several hundred Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,000 Gazans arrested since the start of the war. 

Why it Matters

The willingness of Israel to grant amnesty to Hamas is not something that has been offered since the war began in 2023. If accepted, the agreement would meet the number one desire of many Israelis, which is the safe return of the remaining hostages who have been in captivity for over two years now. The deal would also allow Hamas leaders to leave Gaza without further targeting by the Israeli military.

Why would Israel be willing to grant Hamas amnesty now when they weren’t in the past? There are a couple of possible explanations. First, the strong desire among Israelis for the safe return of the remaining hostages has only grown as the war has dragged on. For many in Israel, securing the release of the hostages is their primary goal.

Second, Mr. Netanyahu is feeling increased international pressure to bring the war to a close, as the dramatic walkout of most delegates to his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last week illustrated.

Hamas has not indicated whether or not they would be willing to accept amnesty in exchange for freeing the remaining hostages. If they do agree to the plan, another provision is that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza from this point forward. Egypt has been training a new security force to help manage the governance of Gaza after the war has ended, which is a strong signal that Arab support for Hamas has all but evaporated.  

While the Israeli public, the Palestinians, and much of the rest of the world have grown weary of the war in Gaza, ending the conflict may come down to whether or not Hamas wishes to continue the fight. 

How it Affects You

Several peace proposals have been put forward since 2023, and none have been able to reach implementation because they didn’t satisfy everyone involved in the conflict. A combination of international pressure and war weariness might finally bring the war in Gaza to a close.