Gaza [Palestine], January 25: A member of Hamas' political bureau, Osama Hamdan, on Wednesday reiterated that the Palestinian movement would not agree to a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while blaming Israel for unwillingness to seek common ground.
On Monday, the Axios news portal reported that Israel proposed a two-month pause in fighting in the Gaza Strip to Hamas in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages. On Tuesday, Hamas' head of international relations, Basem Naim, told Sputnik that the movement was willing to conclude a peace agreement with Israel, but it could not accept the initiatives which do not envisage a comprehensive ceasefire and the permanent withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
"We will not agree to negotiate a temporary ceasefire ... The Israeli side has so far been evasive and unwilling to reach an agreement," Hamdan told the Sky News Arabia broadcaster. He added that any agreement with Israel required international and regional guarantees. Hamas had released 105 hostages during a week-long ceasefire at the end of November last year. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
Hamas had previously linked any further hostage releases to an end to the war. According to Israeli government sources, Hamas is still holding around 130 people they kidnapped from Israel to Gaza on October 7.
Hamas has told mediators that it is prepared to talk about the release of female civilians and children in return for a "significant" ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing Egyptian officials. According to the Wall Street Journal, these include Israeli female soldiers. The Israeli government assumes that 105 hostages are still alive and that many of them are being held in Hamas' underground tunnel network.
According to the US news portal Axios, Israel is said to have proposed a two-month ceasefire in return for the release of all hostages.
Source: Qatar Tribune
