Report: Hamas demands Israel withdraw to previous ceasefire lines even during negotiations

The Saudi channel Asharq reports that Hamas is presenting a series of demands ahead of talks that are set to begin tomorrow in Egypt.

These include a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of the IDF to the positions it held during the implementation of the previous deal in January – meaning outside populated areas in the Strip – as well as the suspension of fighter jet and drone activity for 10 hours a day, and for 12 hours on days when hostages are released.

According to the sources, Hamas is demanding that these measures be applied throughout the entire period of negotiations, which may last a week or longer.

A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP: “During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City,” adding that the group would “also halt their military operations” in parallel.

It was also reported that in the previous deal, Israel objected to the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners, including senior figures from Fatah, Hamas, and other groups – among them Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Ibrahim Hamed, Hassan Salameh, and Abbas Sayyed.

According to the report, Hamas now demands that Israel drop its objections and release them, stressing that this is “the only remaining opportunity for their freedom.”