The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it will release an Israeli-American hostage and the bodies of four others in exchange for aid deliveries into Gaza and negotiations towards a permanent end to its war with Israel.
Hamas said it offered to release New Jersey native Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli Army, after receiving a proposal from mediators for negotiations on the second phase of a ceasefire deal.
The deal halted major fighting from January 19 but has been in limbo for two weeks.
Israel has dismissed the offer as "psychological warfare".
Since a temporary first phase of the ceasefire expired on March 2, Israel has rejected opening the second phase of talks, which would require it to negotiate over a permanent end to the war, the main demand of Hamas.
Israel said it wanted to extend the ceasefire's temporary first phase, a proposal backed by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
However, Hamas said it would resume freeing hostages only under the second phase.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Hamas' offer to release Mr Alexander "manipulation and psychological warfare".
"While Israel has accepted the Witkoff proposal, Hamas stands by its refusal and has not budged a millimetre," his office said.
Mr Netanyahu said he would convene with his cabinet on March 15 to discuss the hostage situation and decide on the next steps.
Israel has imposed a total blockade of Gaza since the first phase of the ceasefire expired without an agreement to begin the second phase on March 2.
The US has been dealing directly with Hamas in a bid to secure the release of US citizens.
Israel wants to continue the current phase of the ceasefire instead of discussing further troop withdrawals and an end to the war.
Hamas' conditional offer
Two Hamas officials told Reuters their agreement to release Mr Alexander and the four bodies was conditional on beginning the talks on the second phase of the ceasefire, opening crossings, and lifting the Israeli blockade.
"We are working with mediators for the agreement to succeed and to compel the occupation to conclude all phases of the agreement," Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua, the Hamas spokesperson, said.
"Hamas' approval to release Edan Alexander aims to push towards the conclusion of the phases of the agreement," said Mr Al-Qanoua.
Underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire, Gaza medics said four Palestinians were killed on March 14 by an Israeli air strike in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City.
Palestinian media said the four men had been collecting firewood needed for cooking in the absence of gas under the blockade.
The Israeli military said it had struck several militants attempting to plant a bomb near its forces, Reuters reported.
The US, Qatar, and Egypt have been trying to bridge the differences between Hamas and Israel to restart negotiations in order to release remaining hostages held in Gaza and lift the blockade.
The war began when Hamas carried out a cross-border terrorist attack into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's subsequent assault on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
ABC/Reuters
