Gaza [Palestine], February 20: Hamas has proposed to release all captives remaining in the Gaza Strip in "one go" in exchange for a lasting truce and a complete Israeli army withdrawal from the besieged enclave.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem outlined the group's vision for the second phase of the ceasefire deal which includes the proposed exchange.
"We are ready for a second phase in which the prisoners will be exchanged in one go, within the criterion of reaching an agreement that leads to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Strip," Qassem said.
The group also rejected Israel's call for its disarmament and removal from the Strip.
"The occupation's condition of removing Hamas from the Gaza Strip is a ridiculous psychological war, and the withdrawal or disarmament of the resistance from Gaza is unacceptable," Qassem added.
Qassem also addressed the group's decision to increase the number of captives to be freed during the next swap on Saturday from three to six. The decision was announced by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya a day earlier in an apparent bid to accelerate the implementation of phase two of the deal. "Doubling the number of prisoners to be released was done in response to a request from the mediators and to prove our seriousness in implementing all the terms of the agreement," Qassem said in Wednesday's statement.
The proposal comes after United States President Donald Trump spoke out against the phased weekly release of the captives taken from Israel, and after families of those remaining in Gaza called for all of them to be freed together.
Accelerating the implementation of the deal was also seemingly made in trade for Israel's allowing mobile homes and construction equipment into the devastated Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces have continued to seal shut vital border crossings throughout its genocide, preventing the entry of basic supplies, as well as reconstruction materials.
Source: Qatar Tribune
