The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, says it has formally submitted its response to a recent ceasefire proposal presented by the United States’ Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
In a statement on Saturday, Hamas said the response, following a series of internal national consultations, reflects the movement’s “profound responsibility towards its people and their suffering.”
The Palestinian group said that the proposal sent through mediators aims to achieve “a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, and ensure the flow of aid to our people.”
“As part of this agreement, ten living Israeli captives held by the resistance will be released, along with the handover of eighteen bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners,” the statement posted on Telegram read.
Hamas did not specify the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel would release, but stressed that any deal must address the wider suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
The initiative, led by Witkoff with the support of regional mediators, followed months of stalled negotiations between the Israeli regime and the Palestinian resistance group.
Israel has hampered the ceasefire process with its unsolicited demands, despite repeated calls by the international community for an end to the war, which has left more than 54,000 Palestinians dead, hundreds of thousands displaced, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
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