Hamas says solution reached over release of Palestinian prisoners

Hamas said on Tuesday it has agreed during a visit to Cairo on a solution to end the delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners.

The solution is to release the Palestinian prisoners simultaneously with the bodies of the killed Israeli hostages who were agreed to be handed over during the first phase, the Islamist militant group said.

Hamas said its delegation, led by the group's Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya, has reiterated commitment to the ceasefire agreement “with all its stages and clauses”.

“They [Palestinian prisoners] will be released simultaneously with the bodies of the Israeli prisoners [hostages] agreed to be handed over during the first phase, in addition to the corresponding Palestinian women and children,” Hamas said.

There has been a standoff over the release of more than 600 Palestinians, which Israel has delayed, accusing Hamas of breaching the agreement by making a public show of the handover of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The Hamas statement suggested a crisis that could have derailed the fragile ceasefire deal was averted. There has been no immediate comment from Israel.

On Tuesday, Israeli officials said Israel was considering an extension of the 42-day truce in Gaza as it seeks to bring home the remaining 63 hostages, while putting off agreement on the future of the enclave for now.

The initial phase of the ceasefire deal, launched with the backing of the US and the help of Egyptian and Qatari mediators on January 19, is due to end on Saturday and it remains unclear what will follow.

Hamas official Basem Naim said progress could not be made while the prisoners were still being held but Hamas was committed to a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The deal, which included the release of 33 Israeli hostages in return for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from some of their positions in Gaza, has survived numerous hiccups.

So far, 29 Israeli hostages — plus five Thais — have been released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, with the bodies of four more hostages, initially due to be handed over on Thursday, still to come.

Israel has said Hamas cannot have any role in the future running of Gaza and has rejected a role for the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has said it will not necessarily demand that it remain in charge of the enclave, which it has governed since 2007, but that it must be consulted.

Reuters