The Palestinian Islamic terrorist organization Hamas has declared its readiness to agree to a five-year ceasefire and release all Israeli hostages. Such a deal could end the war in Gaza, a Hamas representative told the AFP news agency.
Hamas is ready to sign an agreement "for a prisoner exchange (...) and for a five-year ceasefire," said the Hamas representative in Cairo. In this context, all Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, writes A2.
A Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Saturday. From Cairo, a senior Hamas official announced that the delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, would discuss "Hamas' vision for ending the war" with Egyptian representatives.
Egypt, along with the United States and Qatar, brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which took effect on January 19. After the first phase of the ceasefire expired, Israel wanted to extend the first phase rather than agree to a planned second phase with a long-term cessation of hostilities. When no agreement was reached, Israel resumed its massive airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip about two months later and also launched a new ground offensive. It has also blocked all aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip since March 2.
Efforts to reach a new ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful. Last week, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal that would have called for a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of ten live Israeli hostages.
During the Cairo talks, Israel continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip. At least ten people were killed in Gaza City on Saturday when a residential building was bombed, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency. About 20 people are missing under the rubble. Umm Walid al-Khur, who survived the attack, said that "everyone was sleeping with their children" when the house was shelled and collapsed.
(A2 Televizion)
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