Hamas says ceasefire disputes with Israel resolved

Hamas said on Friday that all obstacles hindering the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, scheduled to begin on Sunday, have been resolved.

This came amid reports of urgent final discussions to finalise the deal. 

Senior Hamas official Zaher Jabarin said that mediation efforts led by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt resolved the outstanding issues early on Friday.

He accused Israel of failing to adhere to the agreement’s terms.  

Jabarin added, “The movement sought a national exchange deal from all factions and members of our people,” and confirmed that the Prisoners Office would release the list of individuals included in the first phase of the prisoner exchange. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously indicated that negotiations were hindered by unresolved details regarding certain prisoners’ release.  

Reuters reported that US officials, alongside Qatari and Egyptian mediators, were addressing these concerns.  

On Friday, Israel’s Justice Ministry published a partial list of 95 Palestinian women and children prisoners who are to be released in the initial phase of the agreement. 

Simultaneously, Israel notified the families of 33 Israeli captives expected to be freed during the ceasefire’s first phase, as reported by the Times of Israel. 

These captives include women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm.

The agreement stipulates that Israel will receive a full status report on the hostages within seven days of the ceasefire’s implementation. 

Despite the ceasefire announcement, Israeli airstrikes have continued to devastate Gaza.  

Since Wednesday, more than 100 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.  

Israel’s military reported targeting approximately 50 sites in Gaza over the past day. 

Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, warned that continued strikes risk jeopardising the captives’ lives, turning their anticipated freedom “into a tragedy.” 

Israel’s security cabinet approved the ceasefire and hostage release deal on Friday, pending a final vote by the full cabinet. 

If implemented, the agreement will bring a halt to the bombardment of Gaza, where over 46,788 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry considered reliable by the United Nations.  

The conflict has left the territory in ruins and its population in dire humanitarian conditions.