Israel has demanded that Hamas return 11 live hostages, including American hostage Edan Alexander, in exchange for a continuation of the Gaza ceasefire. The Prime Minister’s Office announced late Saturday night that an annex submitted by Hamas would amend the January 17 ceasefire and not trigger the second phase of negotiations.
The annex includes demands such as a complete Israeli withdrawal from Philadelphi, continued rehabilitation efforts for Gazan infrastructure, and more humanitarian aid to the enclave. In return, Israel wants the release of the hostages’ remains alongside that of four other dual-national hostages. The deal would also involve Israel’s release of 120 prisoners serving life sentences, 1,110 prisoners arrested during the conflict, and the remains of 160 prisoners.
Hamas had previously linked its agreement to extend the ceasefire with the release of Edan Alexander and the other hostages’ remains. However, a Qatari-owned news outlet Al Jazeera reported that Israel has refused to meet Hamas’s demands, leading to concerns about a potential collapse of the ceasefire.
The shutdown of Al Jazeera by the Palestinian Authority in January was condemned by Hamas as a “blatant violation of press freedom.” The controversy surrounding Al Jazeera’s reporting on clashes in Jenin and its accused role in inciting violence has further strained relations between Israel and Hamas.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-846110