Hamas proposed the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza as part of Phase Two of its ceasefire deal with Israel. It is in exchange for a permanent truce and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

Earlier this week, the militant group announced that six Israeli hostages would be freed on Saturday and the bodies of four deceased captives returned on Thursday.

Joining the discussion: 

• Muhannad Ayyash is a Policy Analyst at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network and Professor of Sociology at Mount Royal University.
• Nabeel Khoury is a Former U.S. diplomat and Middle East Expert.
• William Lawrence is a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at American University.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a Senior Consulting Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan firmly rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Feb. 19. He also reaffirmed #UAE’s commitment to a two-state solution. https://t.co/WqknXpznV8

— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) February 19, 2025

Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov were freed in Gaza on Saturday and Israel began releasing some 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange, after mediators helped avert a ceasefire collapse.https://t.co/IlmV29sU6g

— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) February 15, 2025