The Palestinian armed group Hamas has proposed the release of all hostages simultaneously, on the condition of a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.
In a statement on Wednesday (February 19), Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that this proposal would be part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
He stated, “We are ready for the second phase, where all hostages will be released together. This will lead to a permanent ceasefire agreement and the withdrawal of all troops from the region.”
Meanwhile, Israel has set its own conditions for Hamas, demanding that the group lay down its arms and cease all activities. However, Hamas has rejected this demand. Hazem Qassem responded, “The occupiers’ condition to eliminate Hamas in Gaza is psychological warfare. The demand to withdraw the resistance forces from Gaza or for them to surrender their weapons is unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Hamas is set to return the bodies of four hostages. On Saturday, they will release six living hostages. Initially, Hamas had planned to release only three hostages on Saturday, but they increased the number to six. Hazem Qassem confirmed, “At the request of mediators, we have doubled the number of living hostages to be released, proving that we are committed to implementing all terms of the ceasefire.”