Hamas, the Palestinian movement, has demanded that Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages held in the region. The Times of Israel reported this, citing a senior Israeli official.
According to the official, Hamas has rejected all aspects of the deal proposed by Israel and has instead put forward several counter demands that the Israeli side cannot accept. Among these demands, Hamas seeks guarantees that after the release of an initial group of Israeli hostages, Israel will commit to a permanent ceasefire, withdraw entirely from Gaza, and lift all restrictions on the return of Palestinians to the northern parts of the enclave.
Additionally, Hamas has proposed releasing only 20 hostages in the first phase, despite a proposal from Egypt, Qatar, and the US calling for the transfer of 40 hostages to Israel. Furthermore, Hamas insists that Israel agree to a six-week truce before the release of the 20 hostages.
Negotiations on establishing a truce in Gaza and releasing the hostages began on April 7 in Cairo. Egyptian TV channel Al Qahira Al Ikhbariya reported progress in the talks, while Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera quoted sources as saying that mediators had presented a new proposal to be implemented in three stages.
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Based on materials from TASS