The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stated in a release that both Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine insist that Israel must cease its attacks on Gaza and withdraw its forces from the region before any agreement for the exchange of hostages and prisoners is made.
Earlier, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that good progress had been made in talks earlier in the week with the heads of the American, Israeli, and Egyptian intelligence agencies regarding a path forward for a new agreement between Israel and Hamas to release detainees.
During a seminar organized by the Atlantic Council online, the Qatari Prime Minister expressed hope in presenting a framework for such an agreement to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and bringing them to a position enabling constructive engagement.
He emphasized that the current stage of the negotiations could lead to a permanent ceasefire in the future. Through Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation, Hamas and Israel reached a week-long truce until December 1st last year, during which prisoners were exchanged, and limited humanitarian aid was delivered to the area inhabited by approximately 2.3 million Palestinians.
Israel estimates around 136 prisoners in Gaza, while it detains at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.
Earlier, the White House announced that negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement to release the Israeli prisoners detained in the Gaza Strip had led to a “framework that could lead to a final agreement.”
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the ongoing talks as “constructive” during an interview with MSNBC, adding that despite the progress made in the negotiations, there is no agreement currently on the table ready to be announced soon.
He further stated, “We believe that there is a framework here for a new hostage deal that can make a real difference in terms of freeing more hostages, bringing in more aid, and effectively reducing violence, which, of course, would minimize civilian casualties.”
