HAMAS will free its Israeli hostages if an end to the Gaza war is guaranteed, a senior official from the resistance group said today.

Taher al-Nunu said: “We are ready to release all Israeli captives in exchange for a serious prisoner swap deal, an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid.”

Hamas is taking part in negotiations in Cairo with mediators from Egypt and Qatar – directed by the United States – to broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

But Mr Nunu accused Israel of obstructing progress towards a ceasefire.

He said: “The issue is not the number of captives but rather that the occupation is reneging on its commitments, blocking the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and continuing the war.

“Hamas has therefore stressed the need for guarantees to compel the occupation [Israel] to uphold the agreement.”

Israeli news website Ynet reported today that a new proposal had been put to Hamas.

Under the deal, the group would release 10 living captives in exchange for US guarantees that Israel would enter negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19 and included multiple captive-prisoner exchanges, lasted two months before Israel collapsed the deal, having already committed multiple violations.

Israeli opposition politicians, former army officials and families of captives have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of waging the war for his own political ends.

Meanwhile, more than 1,600 former Israeli military personnel have joined the growing list demanding a deal to bring the hostages back from Gaza and for an end to the war.

The group said they want the captives returned, “even at the cost of halting the fighting,” to save Israeli lives, according to Yedioth Ahronoth and other Israeli media.

More than 170 graduates from an elite tech leadership programme of the Military Intelligence Unit signed their names to a separate letter calling for an end to the war and the return of captives.

Air Force reservists, doctors, ex-Mossad members, navy reservists and military intelligence members have been among those signing similar letters.

Israel’s war on the Palestinians in Gaza has killed at least 50,983 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry says most of those killed are women and children.

Since March 18, when Israel ended the ceasefire by launching more attacks, at least 1,613 Palestinians have been killed and 4,233 wounded.

A large number of victims are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.