Hamas has reaffirmed its decision to release Israeli hostages as originally planned, despite a recent disagreement with Israel regarding the Gaza ceasefire terms.
This follows a temporary halt in the hostage exchange after Hamas accused Israel of failing to uphold parts of the ceasefire agreement.
“Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the deal according to what was signed, which includes exchanging prisoners according to the specified timetable,” a statement by the militant group said.
“The talks were characterized by a positive spirit,” the statement said, adding that Egypt and Qatar affirmed they would work to “remove obstacles and fill gaps.”
The ceasefire, which began was intended to facilitate the phased release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, while Israel, in return, would release Palestinian prisoners and permit humanitarian aid into Gaza.
To date, Hamas has released 16 out of the 33 Israeli hostages slated for release under the current phase of the agreement. Meanwhile, Israel has freed 656 Palestinian prisoners from a list of nearly 2,000 detainees.
On Thursday, Hamas stated that mediators had assured them they would push for Israel to allow the entry of essential supplies, including housing materials, medical equipment, fuel, and humanitarian aid. The group also noted that mediators had committed to addressing obstacles hindering the continuation of the ceasefire agreement.
