Hamas says Qatar will announce expected truce deal with Israel

By Ahmed Gouda

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on Tuesday said Qatar is the party that will announce the expected truce deal with Israel.

"Now, the issue is up to the brothers in Qatar, they will announce the truce agreement with Israel including its terms," Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, told Doha-based Al Jazeera channel.

He added that the details regarding the truce will be announced in the upcoming hours.

"Once the announcement of the agreement, it will be acceptable to us (Hamas), and will reflect the unified demands of the (Palestinian) resistance," al-Risheq said.

He also said that before delivering the Hamas response regarding the truce proposal and its terms, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh met with the Islamic Jihad group's leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah.

Late Monday, Israeli state media reported that the Tel Aviv authorities gave a green light for the completion of a prisoner swap deal, adding that they were awaiting a response from Hamas.

According to Israeli official estimates, some 240 people have been held in Hamas captivity in Gaza since Oct. 7, when Israel started bombing the besieged enclave after a surprise Hamas attack.

Hamas’ armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, for its part, earlier said it holds in its captivity some 200-250 people, including Israeli soldiers and civilians, but later announced that a number of them were killed during Israeli airstrikes across Gaza since Oct. 7.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar