Watan-Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif Al-Qanoua stated on Friday that the movement’s approval of the release of Israeli-American soldier Aidan Alexander came as part of efforts to push forward the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Hamas announced on Friday that it had submitted its response to a proposal from mediators, which includes the release of Alexander along with the remains of four other dual nationals. Al-Qanoua emphasized that mediators are making significant efforts to reach an agreement, despite what he described as Israel’s delays and attempts to evade the deal that was brokered in January.
He stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to stall or derail the agreement would not succeed, expressing hope that the negotiations would ensure the full implementation of the three-phase agreement, which was mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
Hamas Pushes for Ceasefire Deal Amid Ongoing Gaza Crisis
Al-Qanoua added that Hamas is working with mediators to ensure that Israel complies with all three stages of the agreement, which include a full withdrawal, a permanent ceasefire, and the reconstruction of Gaza after more than 15 months of devastating war.
For the second consecutive week, Israel has kept Gaza’s border crossings closed, depriving residents of essential supplies such as food, medicine, and fuel needed for drinking water and daily consumption, in addition to ongoing deadly attacks.
According to government media office statistics, at least 140 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire agreement took effect, with casualties resulting from airstrikes, sniper fire, and other shootings.
Since Tuesday, meetings have been taking place in Doha, attended by an Israeli delegation and U.S. presidential envoy for the region, Steve Wietckoff, aiming to finalize the prisoner exchange deal and push both Hamas and Israel to proceed with implementing the agreement.
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