Hamas is ready to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for an “serious prisoner swap” and guarantees that Israel will end the war in Gaza.

The Palestinian organization is involved in negotiations in Cairo with mediators from Egypt and Qatar – two countries working with the United States on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“We are ready to release all Israeli prisoners in exchange for a serious prisoner return agreement, an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid,” Taher al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, told the French news agency.

However, he accused Israel of blocking progress towards a ceasefire. “The issue is not the number of prisoners,” says Nunu, “but that Israel is breaking its commitments, preventing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and continuing the war. Hamas therefore stressed the need for guarantees to force the occupying [Israel] to abide by the agreement,” he added.

Today’s reports said a new deal proposal had been put to Hamas. Under the terms of the proposal, the group is asked to release 10 alive hostages in exchange for US guarantees that Israel would begin negotiations on a second phase of a ceasefire.