Hamas followed the end of the second day of indirect talks with Israel in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, with a statement conditioning the release of hostages on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hamas said in a statement that it called for linking each stage of the release of Israeli captives with the stages of the full Israeli withdrawal, indicating that the captives will not be freed all at once, reported Middle East Eye. “The release of the last prisoner must coincide with the final withdrawal of Israeli forces,” the statement said. Hamas also urged the need for international guarantees for a final ceasefire to ensure full Israeli withdrawal.
The second followed a first day judged by the Palestinian side in an optimist tone. “Sources indicated the meeting was positive and established a roadmap for the current negotiation round,” said a comment posted on the Resistance News Network Telegram channel. “The resistance’s delegation confirmed that continued bombing in Gaza challenges the release of captives. The delegation included Khalil Al-Hayya and Zaher Jabareen, who survived the assassination attempt in Doha.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said at a press conference in Doha that the talks continued on Oct. 7. “Yesterday [Oct. 6] witnessed four hours of intense and meticulous negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh,” Al-Ansari told a weekly press briefing in Doha, noting that the talks focused on identifying obstacles towards reaching a deal, reported Doha News.
