Any prisoner exchange agreement with Israel must include a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the opening of checkpoints and the supply of necessary food into the Gaza Strip, Hamas' head of international relations, Basem Naim, told Sputnik on Friday.
"The attitude of the movement [Hamas] has not changed, we have no problems with some tactical details, but it is important that any agreement leads to a complete and comprehensive ceasefire, the withdrawal of all [Israeli] troops from the Gaza Strip, the opening of checkpoints and the supply of necessary food, as well as the continuation of the exchange of prisoners with the Israelis," Naim said.
He added that Hamas has asked for regional and international guarantees for the prisoner exchange and asked Russia to be among the guarantors of the process.
"When we made our proposals, we asked for regional and international guarantees for the implementation [of prisoner exchange], regardless of who provides them, it is important that we say [that there have to be] Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, and we asked Russia to also act as guarantors of implementation," Naim pointed out.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 26,900 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.