Hamas says it is ready to release all the hostages in exchange for the end of the war in Gaza
“We are ready to release all [otages] Israelis in the context of a real prisoner exchange agreement, and in exchange for the cessation of the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid ”assured Taher Al-Nnou, a manager of Hamas, to the France-Presse agency.
A delegation of Hamas is currently in Cairo for discussions with officials of Egypt and Qatar, who, with the United States, leads mediation for a truce in Palestinian territory.
Al-Nenou, however, accused Israel of hindering progress to a cease-fire. “The problem does not lie in the number” hostages to be released, he said, “But rather in the fact that[Israël] returns to his commitments, blocks the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and continues the war ”. “This is why Hamas insisted on the need for guarantees in order to force [Israël] to comply with the agreement “he added.
-According to the Israeli information site Be fateda new proposal was submitted to Hamas, which would provide for the release of ten living hostages in exchange for American guarantees that Israel will begin negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire.
As a reminder, a first phase of the truce, between January 19 and March 17, had allowed the return of 33 hostages, including 8 dead, in exchange for the liberation by Israel of around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Efforts to restore the ceasefire has hitherto struck disagreements on the number of hostages that Hamas should release. Taher Al-Nenou also said that Hamas would not disarm-that he does it is one of the conditions set by Israel to end the war.
