Hamas stated on Saturday that "the initiative lies with Israel" following their proposal to free one Israeli-American captive and hand over the remains of four more individuals as part of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.
After the proposal was presented on Friday, Israel stated that the Palestinian militants have shown "no movement whatsoever" following a suggestion made by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
The initial stage of the ceasefire, starting in January, concluded on March 1st without an accord on subsequent actions. According to a representative from Hamas, discussions commenced in Doha on Tuesday.
"The ball is now in Israel's hands," stated a spokesperson for Hamas.
“We want to solidify the ceasefire agreement and force (Israel) to implement its terms,” Abdul Latif al-Qanou told AFP, accusing Israel of “delaying” its enforcement.
He indicated the continuous obstruction of humanitarian assistance from reaching Gaza since March 2.
A member of Hamas's political office, who wished to remain anonymous, informed AFP that the suggestion to free 21-year-old soldier Edan Alexander—who was captured during Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023—and to hand over the remains of four additional Israeli-American captives was included as part of "a special arrangement."
As part of this deal, Israel will release Palestinian detainees, though the exact count remains undecided, according to the official.
The official stated that the suggested swap would be contingent upon initiating discussions for the execution of the truce’s second stage at the same time, with the negotiations concluding within a span of 50 days, as mentioned.
The proposal additionally advocated for the prompt opening of all border crossings to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and requested the Israeli army’s retreat from the Philadelphi corridor, he mentioned.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday alleged that Hamas was engaging in "deception and mind games."
Netanyahu’s office stated that he will hold a meeting on Saturday evening with multiple ministers to get an extensive briefing from the negotiating team about plans for releasing the captives and then determine subsequent actions.
On Friday, The White House criticized Hamas for presenting "highly unrealistic" conditions and "betting incorrectly that time is in their favor."
In the first six weeks of the ceasefire, starting from January 19, the militants freed 33 captives, among whom were eight who had died, in return for approximately 1,800 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli jails.
Currently, there are 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, with the Israeli army stating that 34 of them have been confirmed deceased.
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