Hamas says ready for prisoner exchange deal to end Gaza war

GAZA - Hamas said on Thursday evening that it is ready to immediately begin negotiations on a deal to swap all Israeli hostages with an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to completely stop the Gaza war.

Hamas expressed "readiness to immediately begin negotiations on a comprehensive package, whereby all prisoners held by the resistance and an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners in the occupation's prisons are released," Khalil Al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, said in a video speech.

This is "in exchange for a complete cessation of the war against our people, a full (Israeli) withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the start of reconstruction, and the end of the (Israeli) siege," Al-Hayya said.

Al-Hayya accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government of "using partial agreements as a cover" for Netanyahu's "political agenda, which is based on continuing the war," adding that Hamas "will not be part of implementing this policy."

On Monday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had presented to Hamas a new deal proposal that includes the release of about 10 hostages and a temporary truce. Hamas said in a statement that it was reviewing the proposal, and would submit its response after completing internal consultations.

On Tuesday, Hamas said it had lost contact with the group that captured Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander after an Israeli bombardment targeted their location.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister instructed Israeli negotiators to "continue the steps" for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

Since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on Gaza on March 18, 1,691 people have been killed and 4,464 others injured, Gaza health authorities said Thursday.