UPDATE:
Hamas said that the horrific massacre committed by the Israeli occupation army in Beit Lahiya on Saturday is a dangerous escalation that reflects its disregard for international law.
In a statement, Hamas considered the occupation’s escalation as confirmation of its intention to violate the ceasefire agreement and squander any opportunity to continue its implementation and exchange prisoners.
The Palestinian resistance movement added that the increase in the occupation’s crimes since the ceasefire began places the mediators and the United Nations in a position of responsibility to stop these crimes.
Hamas called on the mediators “to take urgent action and pressure war criminal Netanyahu to compel him to implement what was agreed upon.”
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation has headed to Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and follow up on the developments of the negotiations and the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The movement had announced that it received a proposal from mediators to resume negotiations, and that it handled it responsibly and positively, submitting its response to the proposal early Friday morning.
Hamas added that it agreed to release the Israeli soldier in its custody, Aidan Alexander, who holds US citizenship, as well as the bodies of four others with dual nationality.
The movement confirmed its full readiness to begin negotiations and reach a comprehensive agreement on issues of the second phase, calling for the occupying forces to fully implement their commitments.
The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news network reported that it has obtained details of the proposal presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff and the mediators regarding the ceasefire in Gaza.
Sources said that the new proposal was handed to Hamas and Israel on Thursday in Doha and included four points that formed the framework for agreeing on a permanent ceasefire.
The mediators’ proposal includes Hamas releasing five Israeli prisoners alive on the first day, including Aidan Alexander, in exchange for the release of several Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
This would be followed by the start of indirect negotiations within 50 days to reach a permanent ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Hamas’ Position
The proposal reaffirmed the continuation of the measures agreed upon in the first phase regarding the entry of humanitarian aid and the cessation of military operations.
Sources added that Hamas requested amendments to the proposal, the most notable of which is that it be an integral part of the January 17 agreement and that the occupation be obligated to implement the remaining parts of the first phase, including reopening the crossings, allowing aid to enter, reconstruction, and withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor.
The movement also requested that the exchange coincide with the start of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas’s response included a request to allow residents of Gaza to return from abroad through the Rafah crossing without restrictions, and to cancel vehicle checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street in the Netzarim axis.
Israeli Response
In contrast, sources said that Israel submitted its response on Friday evening after making several amendments, including increasing the number of prisoners to be released to 11 living prisoners and 16 Israeli prisoners’ bodies.
Israel offered to release 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,110 prisoners from Gaza, and 160 bodies of Palestinian martyrs, Al-Jazeera reported.
According to sources, Israel reduced the indirect negotiation period to 40 days and tied the start of permanent ceasefire negotiations to receiving proof of life regarding the remaining Israeli prisoners.
Sources also reported that Tel Aviv avoided mentioning a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in its response.
US Position
US President Donald Trump stated that the parties involved are in the midst of negotiations for the release of detainees from Gaza.
Trump expressed hope that the ongoing efforts would lead to good results, but he described the situation as complicated.
Wittkoff and the National Security Council issued a statement revealing that Washington had proposed a plan to narrow the gaps in order to extend the ceasefire in Gaza beyond Ramadan and Easter, giving time for negotiations on a framework for a permanent ceasefire.
The statement added that Hamas would release living hostages under the proposal in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to previous formulas.
The ceasefire in the first phase would also be extended to allow the resumption of critical humanitarian aid.
The statement emphasized the US’s goal of finding a permanent solution to the intractable conflict during the ceasefire extension period.
The statement also noted that Hamas had been informed through Qatari and Egyptian partners of the need to implement this proposal soon.
It confirmed that Hamas is aware of the deadline, and threatened that Washington will respond accordingly if the deadline passes.
(AJA, PC)
The sheer level of lies and hypocrisy and outright racist psychopathy that pervades Israeli society and “Western” mass media “news reports” is almost beyond belief. Somehow Hamas, which clearly took extraordinary measures to keep their Israeli (and associated) hostages safe and healthy, is accused of torture and abuse even as Israel murders, maims and tortures many thousands of Palestinians and continues to try to starve to death a million+ more. How many Palestinians is one “white” “western” Israeli worth? A thousand? Ten thousand? The Nazis set the rate at 100:1. The Zionists are clearly bent on exponentially exceeding even that sickening ratio.