Hamas demands full stop to war before hostage release; seeks more aid
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Tel Aviv: Hamas has reportedly backed out of a partial ceasefire to hostilities in exchange for hostages and has agreed only to a complete cessation of war.
The head of Hamas’s political wing, Ismail Haniyeh arrived in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday to meet with Cairo’s spy chief and other Egyptian officials, who are acting as key mediators, reports Al Jazeera.
Haniyeh said that he was there to obtain a cease-fire and more humanitarian aid for Gaza, the Egyptian officials said.
Haniyeh’s visit comes after Israeli officials indicated in talks with US and Qatari representatives that Tel Aviv could be open to another truce deal.
"The issue of prisoners can be negotiated after these two matters are achieved. We cannot talk about negotiations while Israel continues its aggression. Discussing any proposal related to prisoners must occur after the cessation of aggression," Taher Al-Nono, Haniyeh's media adviser said in an interview in Cairo, reports Reuters.
Israel has not commented publicly on the talks in Egypt. But it has ruled out a permanent ceasefire and says it will only agree to limited humanitarian pauses until Hamas is defeated.
Almost 10 weeks of devastating Israeli attacks have killed nearly 20,000 people, including 7,729 children, and left 1.9 million displaced and in need of water, food and medicine, reports Al Jazeera.
During a temporary truce from November 24 to December 1, international agencies were able to ship in desperately needed aid to Gaza. Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners while Hamas returned 100 Israelis and others taken captive during its attacks on October 7.
The Hamas attack claimed the lives of around 1,200 and sparked Israel’s intense retaliation on the enclave.
