By Deutsche Welle
May 31, 2024, 01:56 AM EDT
The Islamist organization Hamas, considered terrorist by the European Union and the United States, informed the mediators in charge of the negotiations with Israel that it will release all the hostages remaining in Gaza if it agrees to “stop its war and aggression” against the Gazans. as announced in a statement.
“If the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, we are ready to reach a comprehensive agreement that includes a full exchange deal,” Hamas said.
The organization, which has de facto controlled Gaza since 2007, said it had shown itself “flexible” during the negotiations, to which Israel responded “by invading the city of Rafah and occupying the crossing (the homonymous crossing that borders with Egypt).”
Israel maintains its position
Hamas once again insisted on a ceasefire as its starting point for negotiations, a demand that the Israeli Government has rejected for months, ensuring that it will not end its offensive until it ends the organization.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement showing his “firm” opposition to this demand.
“Sinwar (Hamas leader) continues to demand an end to the war, the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from the Gaza Strip and leaving Hamas intact,” the prime minister’s office stated then, according to which “Netanyahu is firmly opposed to it.”
Negotiations resumed this week after they returned to “the starting point” and were paused on May 10, while Israel maintains its objective of closing an agreement to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, the Gaza Strip remains under attack Israeli.
Of the 253 kidnapped on October 7, 121 captives remain in the enclave, 40 of them dead according to Israel – more than 70 according to Hamas -; while there have been four other hostages for years, two of them dead.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army confirmed that it had carried out an airstrike in recent days, which was directed against a Hamas compound in the area and was aware of a fire at the site that had caused damage to civilians.
In a later statement, it reported that two Hamas leaders had been killed in the attack. The military said it was continuing to review what happened. 35 people died in the attack, including women and children.
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