
3/17/2025–|Last update: 3/18/202512:11 AM (Mecca time)
The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, said that the proposal of the American presidential envoy to the region, Stephen Witkev, is limited to the exchange of prisoners only, and does not address the ceasefire, open the crossings and end the siege, stressing that it is not possible to accept the return to the zero stage.
Hamdan explained – in an intervention with Al -Jazeera on Monday evening – that a proposal and a convergence presented ideas to get out of the ceasefire agreement, as it is limited to the exchange of prisoners only.
According to the leader of Hamas, what is required is to return to the ceasefire agreement and the exchange of prisoners, which was announced last January, or accepting the movement’s proposal to release the Israeli prisoner.
On March 14, Hamas announced its approval to the release of the Israeli Israeli soldier, Idan Alexander, who holds American citizenship and the bodies of 4 dual nationalities.
In this context, Hamdan said that it was the United States that submitted a proposal to release the Israeli soldier of American citizenship, noting that a proposal and Witakouf came before we talk about anything.
“When the Americans found that Israel was not responding, the soldier was proposed to restore Alexander Alexander,” he added.
He stressed that the siege on the Gaza Strip, starvation, and closure of the crossings “cannot be acceptable to the Palestinian people,” calling for allowing the entry of medical equipment and the equipment of the rubble.
Hamdan stressed that Hamas’s position is clear in adhering to what was agreed upon and providing some facilities in this regard, noting that the movement is ready to implement any matter that facilitates the application of the agreement.
He said that the brokers were unable to pressure Israel to enter the second stage of the agreement, and Washington did not pressure Israel to enter the second stage negotiations.
He reaffirmed that Hamas did not deviate from the context of the agreement, and insist on adhering to it in the interest of the interests of the Palestinian people.
The first stage of the agreement ended on the first of March without agreeing to the following stages, but the open war did not appeal.
This stage spanned 6 weeks, and Hamas had released 33 Israeli prisoners, including 8, while Israel released about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds of prisoners with life and high rulings.
With the end of the first stage, Israel requested that it be extended until mid -April, but Hamas insists on moving to the second stage, which is supposed to put an end to the war.
In turn, Witkeov rejected the proposal submitted by Hamas to release an Israeli Israeli prisoner and restore the bodies of 4 dual nationals, and said in a statement to CNN The Hamas proposal regarding the ceasefire is not suitable to be a starting point for negotiation.
Wittakov considered that the answer from Hamas regarding the extension of the ceasefire in Gaza was “unacceptable”, revealing that the American proposal regarding the ceasefire in Gaza includes the release of 5 neighborhood prisoners, including the American -Israeli citizen Idan Alexander.
And Israeli media reported – days before – that Israel had offered the extension of the ceasefire for 50 days in exchange for Hamas released a portion of the 58 neighborhood prisoners who are still detained in Gaza.