Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing fresh claims that Israel rejected an early Hamas proposal to release all civilian captives taken on 7 October 2023 in return for a limited ceasefire. Qatar's prime minister said Israeli officials were "not interested" when Doha relayed the offer soon after the attack, and retired Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, Israel's former lead hostage negotiator, said a deal could have come about a year earlier than the October 2025 ceasefire, possibly saving hostages' lives. The allegations matter because Israel votes on 27 October, with polls tight and public anger already high over the government's failure to prevent the attack; Netanyahu has not been quoted in the reports responding to the negotiation claims.