Hamas says it has agreed to release 10 Israeli captives as part of continuing efforts to reach a ceasefire in the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip, but warned that ongoing talks for a truce were “tough” due to Israel’s “intransigence”.The Palestinian group said on Wednesday that the ceasefire talks, spearheaded by key mediators Qatar and the United States and held in the Qatari capital Doha, have several sticking points, including the flow of desperately needed aid, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and “genuine guarantees for a permanent ceasefire”.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group agreed to the latest truce proposal and “offered the necessary flexibility to protect our people, stop the crime of genocide, and allow the free and dignified entry and flow of aid to our people until we reach a complete end to the war”.
He added that the areas Israeli troops should withdraw to as part of the first phase of a ceasefire had to be drawn up in a way that does not affect Palestinian lives and “paves the way for the second phase of negotiations”.
The comments come as Israeli forces continued to pound various parts of the enclave, killing at least 74 people on Wednesday, eight of whom died while waiting for GHF aid.
“Unfortunately, this has become the norm: characterised by the ongoing bombardment and forced starvation and dehydration. People are getting killed trying to get food,” Al Jazeer …