03-15-25, 12:01 PM
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#1808
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Chief of the Boat
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 250 metres below the surface
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Hamas says American-Israeli hostage will only be freed if ceasefire is implemented
Quote:
The Hamas terrorist group said Saturday that it will only release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander if Israel implements the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Alexander, 21, is the last living American hostage in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas official told the Associated Press that long-delayed talks over the ceasefire’s second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days. Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
Hamas called it an "exceptional deal" aimed at getting the truce back on track, per the official, who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
Hamas is also demanding the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, the official said.
Hamas on Friday agreed to release Alexander along with the bodies of four other hostages following a deal offered by mediators. He has now been held captive for 526 days as of Saturday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
It comes as talks are ongoing in Qatar to establish the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the first phase of which ended on March 1.
The office of Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, and the National Security Council said in a joint statement that "President Trump has made it clear that Hamas will either release hostages immediately, or pay a severe price."
Witkoff and Eric Trager, National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, presented a ‘bridge’ proposal to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene his ministerial team on Saturday to receive a detailed report from negotiators and decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hamas-...re-implemented
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