War with Israel: Hamas ready to ‘immediately’ exchange prisoners with Israel to free hostages

Hamas’s military wing said Saturday it was willing to release hostages it kidnapped during an attack on Israeli soil in exchange for the release of all Palestinians jailed in Israel.

“The price we have to pay for having a large number of enemy hostages in our hands is emptying the prisons of all Palestinian prisoners,” Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida said in a video broadcast by Hamas’ al-Aqsa television channel.

“If the enemy wants to close the case of the detainees in one fell swoop, we are ready to do so. If he wants a step-by-step process, we are also ready,” he added.

“We are ready to immediately enter into an exchange for the release of all those imprisoned by the Zionist enemy in exchange for all hostages held by the resistance,” Hamas leader Yahya Sinouar later said in a statement. This is his first position since the war began on October 7.

More than 200 hostages are being held in Gaza

According to the latest estimates by Israeli authorities, about 230 hostages kidnapped in the October 7 attack are being held in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory in the hands of Hamas.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel following an attack of unprecedented scale carried out by Hamas militants, according to Israeli authorities.