The Palestinian group Hamas has said it remains committed to reaching an agreement with Israel to end the war on Gaza, but only if conditions, including a permanent ceasefire, are met.
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the group’s political bureau, said that Hamas is “serious about the release of Israeli prisoners under an agreement” that also ensures the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
He told Al Jazeera Arabic in a television interview on Thursday that Hamas would not accept a ceasefire without a permanent ceasefire and a complete halt to Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 34,000 people – mostly women and children – since the conflict started in October.
An “unhindered return” of Palestinians through the besieged enclave to their homes, as well as the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and “an end to the devastating siege” were among the four conditions al-Hayya reiterated.
Hamas submitted its response to a U.S. amendment on April 13 and is still waiting for a response from Israel and the mediating parties, he said.
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are stuck in limbo with both sides showing few signs of being willing to compromise on their demands, but international mediators – Qatar, the United States and Egypt – have been intensely behind it working behind the scenes. Scene discussions to secure a deal.
Senior Israeli officials have repeatedly called Hamas’ demands “delusional” and said an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be tantamount to losing the war.
Egypt has asked for a follow-up meeting with Israel to reach another agreement, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters.
Egyptian, Israeli and U.S. officials reportedly held face-to-face meetings and long-distance talks on Wednesday seeking concessions to break the deadlock in months-long negotiations. A meeting between Egyptian and Israeli officials is expected to take place in Cairo on Friday.
The United States and 17 other countries called on Hamas to release prisoners to end the crisis in Gaza.
“We demand the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days,” said the statement from the leaders of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany and Hungary on Thursday , Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
It said that “the agreement to release the hostages would lead to an immediate and extended ceasefire in Gaza, which would enable an increase in additional necessary humanitarian assistance across Gaza and lead to a credible end to hostilities.”
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna noted that the statement appeared to attempt to increase pressure on Hamas amid ongoing negotiations attempts.
“There is no mention at all of a simultaneous release by the Israeli government of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, but this appears to increase pressure on Hamas as these negotiations progress,” he said.
The renewed effort to continue talks is taking shape as Israel has significantly increased its military activity across the enclave and is pursuing plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in the south, where some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge.
The humanitarian situation in Rafah – on the border with Egypt – and across the Gaza Strip remains dire, with the United Nations and others repeatedly emphasizing the need for Israel to allow more aid.
Eleven-year-old Husam is one of more than 600,000 children who have sought refuge in Rafah, which has been designated a “safe zone” even as the Israeli military continues to bomb it from the air in preparation for a ground attack.
“We fear that people are killing each other for food,” he told Al Jazeera.
“A person’s psyche is exhausted by fear. It’s a slow death.”