Hamas has suggested the full swap of all captives in Gaza in return for a durable ceasefire and total withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the land.
In a statement that was issued on Wednesday, the spokesperson for Hamas, Hazem Qassem, unveiled the movement’s demands for the second stage of the ceasefire deal, including a grand-scale prisoner exchange.
“We have entered the second stage, which is the mass release of prisoners provided an agreement on a full and lasting ceasefire and total military withdrawal from Gaza,” Qassem said.
Hamas swiftly rebuffed Israel’s demand to disarm and leave the region, terming it “a futile psychological tactic.”. Qassem was clear about not laying down arms calling it the option is not on the table.
In a bid to fast-track the process, Hamas has upped the number of captives to be released in the imminent exchange from three to six — upon mediator requests.
Now this announcement from Hamas has sparked a discussion about the lasting ceasefire in the region.
Notably this offer comes after United States President Donald Trump criticized the phased weekly release of Israeli captives.
It is pertinent to note that Hamas issued a warning last week that it would delay the release of prisoners if certain obligations on the part of Israel were not fulfilled, especially that of providing reconstruction materials.
Notably, the ceasefire has been in place since January 19, after over 460 days of conflict. It is fragile, though.
