DUBAI, October 27. /TASS/. During indirect negotiations with the Hamas movement mediated by Egypt and Qatar, Israel suggested establishing a ceasefire in exchange for the release of all hostages and the return of bodies, but the proposal was turned down, Al Arabiya reported citing sources with knowledge of the talks.

Furthermore, the channel’s sources said that Hamas demanded a lasting ceasefire as a condition for talks on the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. In response, Israeli authorities turned down the ceasefire demand as well.

On October 20, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, announced the release of two US citizens, which had been mediated by Qatar. On Monday, the group released two more hostages, Israeli women Nurit Yitzhak and Yocheved Lifshitz. A spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that Egypt and Qatar were involved in the process of freeing Yitzhak and Lifshitz.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has information that Hamas is holding 229 hostages. According to Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, three Russian citizens are believed to be among the hostages.