A proposed deal that would see a five-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in exchange for the release of a number of Israelis held hostage by Hamas was rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early days of the conflict, the Guardian reported, citing unnamed sources. The proposed deal would have seen up to 50 hostages released should Israel pause its assault on Gaza for five days—the amount of time Hamas said it needed to gather the hostages, the New York Timesreported. Israel balked at the proposal, insisting Hamas only needed a few hours, and dug in its heels against calling a ceasefire, telling the Times that: “There will be no pause without the return of hostages and missing persons. The only way of saving the hostages is if Israel continues its ground operation.”
