CAIRO, January 30. /TASS/. The radical Palestinian group Islamic Jihad will not start any negotiations on the release of hostages in Gaza before a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip and guarantees for the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave, the group's secretary general, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, has said.

"We reiterate our firm position that we will not enter into any agreement [on the hostages' release] that does not ensure a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of the [Israeli] forces of occupation [from Gaza], guarantees for the reconstruction of the Strip and a concrete plan for a political solution that includes Palestinians’ rights," said al-Nakhalah, according to the Islamic Jihad's Telegram feed.

He pointed out that this is Islamic Jihad's response to the "initiatives of the US administration being disseminated in the media" regarding the hostages held in Gaza and their release.

Earlier, CNN reported, citing a source, that Egyptian intelligence had allegedly passed to Hamas a preliminary proposal for the release of hostages, reached during a meeting in Paris on January 28 between the heads of intelligence services of Egypt, Israel, the United States and the prime minister of Qatar. The TV broadcaster said that while the negotiators reached a consensus in general terms, agreeing on the specific details of the deal would most certainly be difficult. According to the preliminary terms, the first phase of hostage return includes a six-week pause in hostilities. Each civilian held by Hamas would be exchanged for three Palestinians from Israeli prisons. This ratio could be increased for the exchange of Israeli army personnel. A six-week ceasefire may be followed by a longer pause.