Hamas writes to Trump, offers to free half of the hostages in exchange for ceasefire in Gaza | World News
Amid the ongoing Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City, Palestinian militant group Hamas has reportedly offered to release some of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. Hamas has written to US President Donald Trump with its offer, Fox News reported.
Hamas writes to Trump
According to the report, the letter is currently being held Qatar and will be given to Trump some time the week. In the letter, which, according to Israeli media, is yet to be signed Hamas, the militants have offered to free half of the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza.
Photographs of Israeli hostages being held Hamas militants. (Photo: AP)
A total of 48 hostages are still being held Hamas in Gaza, out of which only around 20 are believed to be alive. Efforts to secure the release of the hostages had been stalled after Qatar, which was one of the key Arab negotiators, suspended its mediation following the Israeli airstrike in Doha earlier this month.
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Hamas releases new hostage video
Meanwhile, Hamas on Monday released a new video showing one of the hostages, Alon Ohel. This is the second time since he was abducted Hamas on October 7, 2023, that Ohel has been seen in a video.
Earlier this month, Hamas had published a video showing two of the captives, including Alon. Based on the video, the family of the 24-year-old had expressed concerns that he may have lost sight in one of his eyes during his time in captivity.
BREAKING 🔴 On the eve of Rosh Hashana, Hamas announces it plans to publish a hostage propaganda video soon.
It released this threatening image of an unidentified hostage. pic.twitter.com/GfM3C5oEhA
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 22, 2025
The family of Alon Ohel asks the public to allow them to review the details of the video.
The family requests that no photos or portions of the video be published at this time.
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) September 22, 2025
The new video was released on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, even as the Israeli military continues its ground offensive in Gaza City.Story continues below this ad
Military offensive continues in Gaza
On Monday, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of the Jordanian Hospital, a key health clinic, a Palestinian health official said. The latest Israeli operation, which started last week, further escalates a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach.
Israeli tanks at a staging area near the border with the Gaza Strip. (Photo: AP)
The Israeli military, which says it wants to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure,” hasn’t given a timeline for the offensive, but there were indications it could take months.
Many have been attempting to relocate from the city, where 1 million people once lived, to the southern Gaza Strip, following Israeli military calls for a full evacuation.
