UPDATE: Sami Abu Zuhri, head of Hamas’ political bureau abroad, said that the Israeli occupation is spreading false information in an attempt to sow confusion, pressure the resistance, and cover up its ongoing crimes against the people of Gaza.
In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Abu Zuhri dismissed reports claiming that the movement had agreed to release nine Israeli captives in exchange for a two-month truce, calling them entirely untrue.
A senior Hamas official said that the movement is prepared to release between seven and nine Israeli hostages in exchange for a 60-day truce and the release of 300 Palestinian prisoners, CNN Arabic reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the official told the American broadcaster that any release would be contingent upon the Israeli military withdrawing to positions east of Salah al-Din Street, a key highway connecting northern and southern Gaza.
His comments came as indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel continued in Doha, Qatar.
CNN reported that it has reached out to Israeli officials for comment.
Meanwhile, Israeli leaders appear to be taking a harder line.
Talks without Preconditions: Everything We Know about Israel-Hamas Talks in Doha
Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli official told reporters that “if Hamas wants to discuss ending the war through surrender, we’re ready,” CNN said.
Talks are reportedly centered around a framework put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which includes the release of ten Israeli captives in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed on Sunday that the Israeli team is also reviewing an alternative framework, which would involve ending the war, securing the release of all captives, expelling Hamas from Gaza, and demilitarizing the territory—conditions that Hamas has previously rejected.
Last month, a Hamas spokesperson reiterated that disarmament remains a red line, and that the group is seeking a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli Forces Begin ‘Broad’ Ground Offensive, 500 Killed in Three Days
Ongoing Genocide
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 52,000, wounding more than 118,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
