The Palestinian group agrees to resume ceasefire talks, and has pledged to release Edan Alexander and hand over the bodies of the other four prisoners of war.
Palestinian group Hamas announced that it was ready to release Israeli prisoner Edan Alexander and hand over the bodies of the other four double citizens after indirect consultations with Israel.
Hamas said in a statement Friday that the delegation received proposals from mediators to resume ceasefire negotiations on Thursday, and the group’s responses include “an agreement with Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who holds US citizenship, to release the four sites of double citizenship.”
Previously, Hamas official Husam Badran said the group “determined to implement ceasefire contracts at various stages, and leaving the occupation from what was agreed will bring us back to zero.”
Following a statement from the Palestinian group, Israel accused Hamas of engaging in a “psychological war.”
“While Israel has accepted Witkov’s framework, Hamas remains rejected and has not rewind inches,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it is accusing Hamas of relying on “manipulation and psychological warfare.”
On Tuesday, senior Hamas officials announced that new round of indirect consultations through mediators have begun in Qatar’s capital Doha. Israel was also sending a team of negotiators.
The first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip ended on March 1 without an agreement on the next phase.
During the first six weeks of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 prisoners, including eight who died, in exchange for around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
After the armistice agreement expired without a new contract, Israel quickly implemented a total blockade on besieged Palestinian territory, leaving 2.3 million people on the brink of massive starvation.
Reported by Khan Younis, Tareq Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera, said civilians are “facing a serious and chronic shortage” of basic food and medical supplies.
Olga Celevko of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Cooperation (OCHA) told Al Jazeera that the situation was disastrous “on multiple levels.”
“The hope that began when the ceasefire began is being replaced by fear, alarms and concerns that supplies are running out,” she said.
Cherevko said the availability of food “can deteriorate very rapidly unless consumables recover.” Six of the 25 World Food Programs have been forced to close because there is no fuel to run them.
According to the Gaza government media office, 80% of residents who lose access to food sources have been exacerbated as land intersections are closed.
Israel was also cutting power to key desalination plants, threatening Gaza’s drinking water supply.
“The water and sanitation conditions are already dire and most facilities have been destroyed in the months of the battle. This latest [Israeli] The decision will reduce access to drinking water to about 600,000 people,” Cherevko said.
Despite continuing talks at the next stage of the ceasefire, Israel continues to attack Gaza by attacking Gaza City and Beit Rahiya for killing two children.
Gaza’s health ministry said at least 48,524 people were killed and 111,955 were injured in Israel’s Gaza War.
At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel on October 7, 2023, with Hamas-led attacks and over 200 people taken prisoner.
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