How do you know Hamas is on the ropes as Israeli forces continue to encircle Northern Gaza? Because they are making offers like this. 

According to a new report, the terrorist government has offered to release all the civilian hostages it took on October 7th in exchange for just a five-day pause in hostilities.

Although the terms have varied in recent weeks, Hamas has indicated most recently that it would release all civilian hostages in exchange for a five-day pause, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive matter. Israeli military captives, whose precise number is unknown, would be retained, possibly to eventually be offered in trade for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Sporadic, indirect negotiations are being held in Doha, Qatar’s capital, where they have waxed and waned depending on the tempo of Israeli strikes. With Qatari officials as go-betweens, the United States has been variously represented by Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s assistant secretary for the Near East, and White House and State Department hostage negotiators, diplomats said. Representatives of Israel’s Mossad national intelligence agency have also traveled to Doha. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s top political leader, who lives in Turkey, has participated, along with former leader and current head of Hamas diaspora affairs Khaled Meshaal, who lives in Qatar.

Why would Hamas be willing to give up its most valuable leverage for such a relatively small pause in the IDF's assault? I think the answer is simple: They are crying uncle, and they want a chance to escape the tunnel systems. 

It's not known exactly how connected the underground Hamas array is, but given the difficulty and expense of building tunnels, it is likely that the northern portions do not connect directly with the southern portions. That means that the clock is ticking on Hamas fighters now stuck in Northern Gaza. IDF troops are methodically making their way through the area, and it's just a matter of time before each and every tunnel is discovered and destroyed. 

A five-day pause would give Hamas the cover to exit those tunnels and retrench in the South, where most of the civilians are now located. In other words, it would simply play into the hands of terrorists who use women and children as human shields, causing even more death and suffering in the long run. 

Further, Hamas is also trying to smuggle its fighters across the border into Egpyt where they would presumably find safety from Israeli strikes. 

Hamas put wounded terrorists on departure lists for Egypt's Rafah Crossing, delaying efforts to evacuate civilian foreigners.

White House: "A third of the people who were on the list that Hamas submitted turned out to be Hamas fighters." pic.twitter.com/HvCOwH9WIp

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) November 4, 2023

With all of that on the table, it would seem incredibly unlikely that Israel would agree to any such terms regarding the release of the civilian hostages. One, Hamas would almost certainly play games with the situation, perhaps buying itself a few days while not actually releasing anyone. Two, a pause would simply lead to Hamas being given new life in Southern Gaza. 

In short, Hamas is cooked, and I think the terrorist government knows it's cooked. That's why you are seeing these kinds of desperate offers they were scoffing at a week ago. Letting them off the hook now would be a grave mistake, both in the short and long term.