According to AFP, a senior Hamas terrorist official said the group is willing to end hostilities in Gaza if Israel meets a number of conditions for a ceasefire.
In Cairo, a Hamas delegation led by the movement’s deputy head in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, discussed possible steps toward a peace deal with Egyptian representatives.
According to Al-Aqsa TV, Hamas’ key demands include an Israeli ceasefire, the withdrawal of its troops from the sector, the return of displaced people, humanitarian aid and a major prisoner exchange deal.
These talks come amid Egypt’s efforts to promote a resolution to the conflict and restart the peace process.
Previously, Kursor wrote that Musa Abu Marzuk, a member of the Hamas Politburo and head of the organization’s international relations department, told RIA about Hamas’ readiness to release Alexander Trufanov and Maxim Kharkin if a corresponding agreement is reached with Israel. .
According to him, the release of these two Russian citizens is a priority for Hamas.
Abu Marzouk noted that he discussed the issue of prisoner exchanges with Russian diplomats, particularly Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Representative for the Middle East, during their recent meeting in Moscow.
The Russian side previously requested the release of four Russians held captive by Hamas. Two of them were unconditionally released because they were civilians, while the other two, according to Abu Marzouk, were Israeli soldiers.
He also explained that Trufanov has dual citizenship – Russian and Israeli – and that he was an Israeli army officer captured by the Islamic Jihad group. It is planned to exchange him for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The second prisoner, Maxim Kharkin, is of Ukrainian origin. Abu Marzouk added that Kharkin’s family, who moved to Russia, later granted him Russian citizenship so he could benefit from diplomatic support. However, Harkin also served in the Israeli military and is not a civilian.
Abu Marzouk stressed that Hamas is willing to prioritize the release of Trufanov and Kharkin “as a gesture of respect” to the Russian representatives as soon as an exchange agreement is reached.
