KEY POINTS
- Hamas receives mediators’ proposal to resume ceasefire talks
- The goal is to release the remaining hostages, resume aid
- Hamas criticizes Israeli ban on Al-Aqsa worshippers
- Imminent famine in Gaza
- Gaza death toll surges to 48,524
GAZA: The Palestinian group Hamas on Friday said it was ready to release an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four others after receiving a proposal from mediators to continue negotiations on the second phase of a ceasefire deal.
Hamas in a statement said that its delegation received a proposal from mediators on Thursday to resume ceasefire negotiations, and the group’s reply “included its agreement to release the Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, along with the remains of four others holding dual citizenship”.
Hamas said that it responded “positively” to the proposal.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House early in March that gaining the release of Alexander was a “top priority”.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been working to bridge the gap between Hamas and Israel to resume negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire deal. The goal is to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza and allow the entry of aid into the war-torn enclave.
On March 2, Israel blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza as tensions over the truce escalated, with Hamas urging Egyptian and Qatari mediators to step in.
Fighting in Gaza has been halted since January 19 under the first phase of the three-phase ceasefire agreement. Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The second phase involves talks over an agreement for the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian enclave. Israel demands that Hamas free the remaining hostages without starting phase two negotiations.
Earlier, Hamas official Husam Badran said the group “is determined to implement the ceasefire agreement in its various stages, and the occupation’s departure from what was agreed will take us back to zero”.
Following the Palestinian group’s statement, Israel accused Hamas of engaging in “psychological warfare”.
Hamas slams Israeli ban on Al-Aqsa worshippers in Ramadan
Meanwhile, Hamas has denounced Israel’s decision to prevent Palestinian worshippers from praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on the second Friday of Ramadan, urging the need for a firm Islamic response to stop Israel’s “disregard” for Muslim feelings and sanctities.
In a statement, Hamas described Israel’s ongoing actions and restrictive measures against Palestinians during the holy month as a “dangerous escalation” in what it called Israel’s “religious war.”
Hamas emphasised that “the continued banning of worshippers from spending the night in prayer at Al-Aqsa for the second consecutive year represents a systematic attack on Muslim practices and an intensification of efforts to Judaize Jerusalem and its sacred sites.”
Gaza face famine
The Gaza officials have warned of the imminent return of famine to Gaza due to Israel’s closure of border crossings to humanitarian and medical aid.
In a statement, the government’s media office said that “today marks the 13th day of the Israeli occupation’s crime of preventing aid and tightening the siege by closing the Gaza crossings.”
“The consequences of this crime on the humanitarian situation are clear, with the indicators of famine and food insecurity unmistakable,” it added.
The government reported that “around 80% of Palestinians have lost access to food, with charity kitchens halting their operations and the suspension of aid distribution from humanitarian organisations due to the lack of food and basic supplies in the markets.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s death toll from Israel’s destructive war since October 2023 has surged to 48,524 as more bodies of Palestinians were found in the rubble, the Health Ministry said.
