Palestinian movement Hamas will only agree to exchange hostages and detainees with Israel if a ceasefire is reached, Hamas political bureau member Osama Hamdan said on Tuesday.
"Any hostage exchange is only possible after a ceasefire and all our conditions are met," Hamdan told a briefing.
Hamas has presented its position regarding the Egyptian and Qatari mediators' proposal, with the movement demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, he added.
Al Qahera News broadcaster reported on Sunday that delegations from Qatar, the United States and Hamas had arrived in Egypt for a new round of de-escalation talks in the Gaza Strip. Israel reportedly decided not to send its delegation to the Cairo talks.
On October 7, 2023, 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. At least 30,600 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.