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Israel Proposes Hostage Deal as Fighting Continues in Gaza

Palestinians set out to Khan Younis with their belongings, from Rafah's Tel al-Sultan area after it was encircled by Israeli forces on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians set out to Khan Younis with their belongings, from Rafah's Tel al-Sultan area after it was encircled by Israeli forces on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Israel Proposes Hostage Deal as Fighting Continues in Gaza

Palestinians set out to Khan Younis with their belongings, from Rafah's Tel al-Sultan area after it was encircled by Israeli forces on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians set out to Khan Younis with their belongings, from Rafah's Tel al-Sultan area after it was encircled by Israeli forces on March 23, 2025. (AFP)

Israel has proposed an extended truce in Gaza in exchange for the return of about half the remaining hostages, Israeli officials said on Monday, as the military issued new evacuation orders and said "intense operations" were planned in the south of the enclave.

The latest proposals would leave open a final agreement over ending the Israel-Hamas war that has destroyed wide swathes of Gaza, killed tens of thousands of people and displaced almost the entire population since it began in October 2023.

But the proposals foresee the return of half the 24 hostages believed still to be alive in Gaza nearly 18 months after they were seized by Hamas-led gunmen - and about half the 35 assumed to be dead - during a truce lasting between 40 and 50 days, said the Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would step up pressure on Hamas but would continue negotiations "under fire". Continued military pressure was the best means of securing the return of the hostages, he said.

Netanyahu also repeated Israeli demands for Hamas to disarm although the Palestinian movement has rejected such calls as a "red line" it will not cross.

Netanyahu said Hamas leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza under a wider settlement that would include proposals from US President Donald Trump for the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from the narrow Strip.

EVACUATION ORDERS

On Monday, the Israeli military told Palestinians living in areas around the southern city of Rafah to relocate to Al Mawasi, an area on the shoreline.

"The Israeli army is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas," the military's Arabic language spokesperson said in a statement.

Hamas said at the weekend that it had accepted proposals made by Qatari and Egyptian mediators which security sources said would entail five hostages being released every week in exchange for a truce.

The Israeli military, which has cut off aid to Gaza, resumed operations on March 18 after a two-month truce, during which 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais were released in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Efforts to move to a second phase in the ceasefire agreement signed with U.S. backing in January have largely stalled, with no sign of movement to overcome fundamental differences between the two sides over the postwar future.

Israel has said Hamas' military and government capacity must be entirely dismantled and says the group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, can have no role in the future governance of the enclave.

Hamas says it is willing to step back to allow another Palestinian administration to take its place but has refused to disarm and says it must play a part in choosing whatever government follows.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza following an attack by Hamas-led gunmen on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

The military campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities.

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Arab World

Al-Sharaa: Syria Has Begun ‘Journey of Recovery and Revival,’ Ending 47 Years of Isolation

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa speaks during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (AP)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa speaks during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (AP)
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Al-Sharaa: Syria Has Begun ‘Journey of Recovery and Revival,’ Ending 47 Years of Isolation

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa speaks during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (AP)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa speaks during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (AP)

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that Syria had begun a “journey of recovery and revival,” marking the end of 47 years of isolation, while insisting the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights “will remain Syrian.”

Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, al-Sharaa recalled appearing before the gathering a year earlier, representing his country for the first time in nearly 60 years.

“In Syria’s struggle between good and evil, the war has ended, the bloodshed has stopped, and the destruction has ceased,” he declared. “Syria has begun its journey of recovery and revival.”

The Syrian president said his country was rebuilding its international standing by expanding relations and partnerships “from a solid foundation of sovereignty.” Since what he called Syria’s “liberation,” nearly 100 countries had opened channels with Damascus through around 4,000 meetings, contacts and other interactions, while the capital now hosts some 60 diplomatic missions.

Turning to chemical weapons inherited from former President Bashar al-Assad’s government, al-Sharaa highlighted the launch of the “Breaths of Freedom” team in cooperation with seven countries, the destruction of 42 chemical bombs and the restoration of Syria’s rights within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Damascus was also cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency “with the utmost transparency” and had helped dismantle 90 international networks involved in human trafficking, drugs and crime, he added.

On sanctions, the president argued that improved security and stability had created a reality in which “the walls of isolation are collapsing,” pointing to the repeal of the Caesar Act, the gradual lifting of European and British sanctions, the restoration of Syria’s cooperation agreement with the European Union and the closing of the chapter on its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

He described those developments as “marking the end of 47 years of isolation.”

The Golan Heights also featured prominently in his address. Al-Sharaa maintained that attempts to impose a new reality could not undermine Syrian state legitimacy, the rule of law or international law.

“The Golan will remain Syrian land,” he stressed, adding that “all annexation measures are null and void” under UN Security Council Resolution 497.

Despite continuing Israeli attacks, the Syrian leader held out the prospect of a political solution, saying there remained an opportunity for “a just peace that preserves everyone’s rights.”

Speaking separately outside the General Assembly meetings, al-Sharaa revealed that direct dialogue with Israel had begun about a year ago and that several rounds of negotiations had produced understandings on “around 90 percent of the issues.”

A final agreement, however, remained uncertain.

“We must protect Syrians’ security and rights before we can talk about peace,” he cautioned, proposing an international committee to assess Israeli security concerns and distinguish between “perceptions” and concerns Israel considers genuine.

Al-Sharaa also recounted joking with US President Donald Trump during an earlier White House discussion about US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan.

“Why don’t you think about giving New Jersey to the Israelis?” he recalled telling Trump. “You don’t own the Golan to give it away today, but you do own New Jersey, because it is full of Democrats and they don’t vote for you.”

On Lebanon, the Syrian president affirmed Damascus’ support for state authority and institutions, restricting weapons to state control and strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

Arab World

The Quad Supports Sudan’s Legitimate State Institutions as Khartoum Rejects US Position

The Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan. SPA
The Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan. SPA
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The Quad Supports Sudan’s Legitimate State Institutions as Khartoum Rejects US Position

The Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan. SPA
The Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan. SPA

Sudan has entered a new phase marked by war and intense diplomatic and political maneuvering. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and Pakistan are maintaining their support for the country's legitimate state institutions while rejecting parallel entities. Khartoum has also rejected the US position on legitimacy in the conflict.

The Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan have “reaffirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Sudan, and stressed the importance of preserving its legitimate national institutions, and rejecting any parallel entities that undermine Sudan's sovereignty and unity.”

The ministers met in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“They stressed the necessity of halting the illicit flow of weapons, mercenaries and foreign fighters into Sudanese territory,” a joint statement said.

“The Ministers also agreed to maintain close coordination and continue consultations on regional and international developments, to strengthen collective security and promote long-term regional stability,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Sudan on Wednesday said it "upholds its national sovereignty" and called on Washington to engage positively with the country's government, pushing back on remarks by the US State Department calling into question its legitimacy.

The US withheld a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of his scheduled visit to New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, reportedly making his attendance contingent on his agreeing to a 90-day ceasefire.

Sudan's war, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the military and the Rapid ⁠Support Forces, has displaced ⁠more than 14 million people and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Tuesday that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces nor either of their respective leaders "represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan."

In a statement on Wednesday, ⁠the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said it strongly rejected the statement and called on Washington to engage positively with the Sudanese government.

"The government of Sudan emphasizes that any peace initiative intended to succeed and endure must be grounded in respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and legitimate national institutions," the statement said.

"It must also address the root causes of the war's continuation — foremost among them, negative foreign interference."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday described trying to mediate an ⁠end to ⁠the conflict in Sudan as frustrating.

"We’ve had people agree to things, sign to things, and the commitments are never met," he told reporters in New York. "Every time it seems like we’re on the verge of making progress, one side or the other will back off because they think they’re winning or they think they could win. And there are external actors."

The dispute, first reported by Reuters, threatens to deepen tensions between Washington and Sudan's army at a critical moment in the civil war, which the United Nations calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

A senior Sudanese source said Burhan had postponed his trip to New York but had yet to receive official notice that the visa had been denied.

"We in the Sudanese government express our deep regret because this is a violation of the UN Convention and international law," the source said.

"Sudan's government affirms its stance towards peace."

Sudan's UN ambassador appealed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene, arguing in a letter that preventing Burhan from attending the General Assembly would violate the UN's obligations toward member states.

In a statement sent to Reuters, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the secretary-general is "deeply concerned that a visa has reportedly not yet been issued to the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Sudan," adding that he is engaging with the US on the issue.

US officials have made Burhan's attendance contingent on his agreeing to a 90-day ceasefire proposed by US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, according to a Sudanese diplomatic ⁠source and a ⁠Western analyst close to American and Sudanese officials.

In a piece in US outlet Foreign Policy published on Monday, Burhan said he would refuse external directives about the war and said previous pauses in fighting had only allowed the RSF and its backers to regroup.

Arab World

‘Death Boats’: Clandestine Boatbuilding Thrives Along Migration Routes from Libya

A workshop making boats for irregular migration after a raid in Libya (Special Tasks Department of the Interior Ministry in western Libya)
A workshop making boats for irregular migration after a raid in Libya (Special Tasks Department of the Interior Ministry in western Libya)
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‘Death Boats’: Clandestine Boatbuilding Thrives Along Migration Routes from Libya

A workshop making boats for irregular migration after a raid in Libya (Special Tasks Department of the Interior Ministry in western Libya)
A workshop making boats for irregular migration after a raid in Libya (Special Tasks Department of the Interior Ministry in western Libya)

Boats used to carry irregular migrants from Libya to Europe have become part of a clandestine market growing alongside people smuggling.

Smugglers are gradually moving from boats brought in from abroad to vessels built in Libya and outfitted specifically for sea crossings, security officials and rights advocates say.

Libyan authorities regularly announce the discovery of clandestine workshops or factories making boats for irregular migration, widely known as “death boats.”

The raids point to continued smuggling activity in coastal areas across both western and eastern Libya.

Photographs released over the years by security agencies on both sides of the country offer a glimpse of the workshops. Often abandoned or secluded sites, they contain wooden planks, engines and manufacturing equipment, as well as finished boats and others still under construction.

In some cases, security agencies have burned seized boats and components after raids to prevent their reuse in migrant smuggling.

The workshops are scattered across coastal cities near departure points for irregular migration, according to monitoring by the Benghazi Center for Migration Studies.

Some are carpentry shops or simple premises near the coast that have been converted to boatbuilding, the center’s head, Tarek Lamloum, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

In Zuwara, for example, authorities found a coastal property that had been turned into a workshop for wooden boats.

Earlier this September, authorities found two facilities making migration boats in Tobruk, in the east, and Sirte, along with boats and manufacturing equipment.

Similar sites had previously been raided in western Libya, including Tajoura in Tripoli, Khoms and al-Qawiya. Authorities found two facilities in Misrata last year.

Boats of every type

The discoveries, stretching from Misrata and greater Tripoli in the west to Sirte and Tobruk in the east, show that local boatbuilding continues across a wide area. They also come as migration routes and smuggling methods have changed in recent years.

Lamloum pointed to workshops concentrated in eastern Libya, particularly in Tobruk, Bir al-Ashhab and areas near the Egyptian border. Some wooden boats have historically been linked to Egypt, he said, whether through the boats themselves or the workers and expertise used to build them.

As the migration route from eastern Libya toward Crete and Greece expanded, local boatbuilding workshops also appeared in the region. Boats, including inflatable craft and locally made vessels, are smuggled from western to eastern Libya, reaching Tobruk and nearby departure points.

The market is therefore not a collection of separate local markets, Lamloum said. An internal supply network connects different parts of Libya and provides the boats and equipment needed for crossings.

He said his assessment draws on accounts from people who made the sea journey, as well as UN reports and published investigations into migration and smuggling routes.

Vessels used for the crossings include wooden and fiberglass boats, inflatable craft and old fishing boats bought for reuse. In recent years, boats built specifically for migration journeys have also appeared.

Their quality varies widely, and some are made cheaply without the standards required for fishing boats or ordinary seagoing vessels.

Their sizes and capacities vary too. Some carry dozens of people, while larger wooden boats can hold far more. “There is no single model that can be described as the Libyan migration boat,” Lamloum said.

Harsh crossings

Since the fall of former President Moammar al-Gaddafi’s government in 2011, Libya has remained both a destination and a transit country for migrants. Its role in Mediterranean migration routes to Europe subsequently grew.

About 936,000 migrants were in Libya in January and February, according to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix.

As the smuggling of irregular migrants expanded, the boats themselves became a commodity in that economy.

A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a well-made wooden boat costs about 50,000 Libyan dinars, or roughly $5,000, without an engine. Lamloum agreed with the estimate, taking exchange rates and the cost of materials and engines into account.

Migrants and refugees often describe harsh crossings. Boats are frequently unseaworthy or overcrowded, increasing the risks for those aboard.

Mohamed K., a 25-year-old Egyptian who later settled in Italy and regularized his legal status, still remembers a journey he made on one of the boats years ago.

“The wooden boat was falling apart. There were about 85 people aboard, packed together without room to stand, and everyone was waiting either to arrive or to die at any moment,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Departures from Tobruk and its surroundings toward Italy increased from mid-2022, sometimes using large vessels carrying 400 people or more, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

As controls on those journeys tightened, smugglers changed tactics in late 2023, turning to smaller boats that were harder to detect, the organization said.

Related businesses, including supplying and outfitting boats and transporting them to departure points, flourished alongside the smuggling trade.

“There are those who finance, those who build, those who import boats and engines, those who transport them between cities, those who provide the captain and those who secure the departure point,” Lamloum said.

“It is no longer simply a smuggler buying a boat from a fisherman,” he said. “We are now looking at a supply chain and an entire economy linked to migration journeys.”