CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas reiterated on Wednesday that it is ready for a comprehensive Gaza deal through which all Israeli hostages are released in exchange for the release of an agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners.
The group’s remarks came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release all 20 hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office criticized Hamas’ comments in a statement.
“Unfortunately, this is yet another spin by Hamas with nothing new in it,” it said.
Netanyahu’s office reiterated that the war in Gaza would only end if all hostages were released, Hamas was disarmed, the strip was demilitarized, Israel established security control over the enclave, and an alternative civilian administration was established.
Hamas in August agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that includes the return of half the hostages held in Gaza and Israel’s release of some Palestinian prisoners. An Egyptian official source said the proposal accepted by Hamas included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year-old conflict.
Netanyahu said days later that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an end to the war, but on terms acceptable to Israel.
(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Yomna Ehab, Enas Alashry and Ali Sawafta, Editing by Franklin Paul, Rod Nickel)
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