CAIRO, November 1. /TASS/. The Palestinian Hamas movement has rejected the initiative proposed by mediators in indirect talks with Israel on a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of a limited number of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, stating that the proposal does not fulfill the fundamental demands of the radical group, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency, which is close to Hamas.

According to the radicals' spokesman, "the proposals put forward do not meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, nor do they include the restoration of infrastructure or the resumption of normal operations at the crossings, especially the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border with Egypt." He stated that Hamas, familiar with the mediators' ideas, reiterated its position that the Palestinians "seek a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of [Israeli] occupation troops from the Strip and the lifting of the siege on the enclave, the return of displaced persons to their homes, and a comprehensive agreement to exchange" hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

On October 29, Hamas announced that it was ready "for all ceasefire proposals" in the Gaza Strip, but only if they meet its demands. Hamas said in a special statement that it "is open to any deal or ideas that ends the suffering of our people in Gaza."

Earlier, Maan reported that at a recent meeting in Qatar, mediators discussed an expanded version of Egypt's proposed preliminary agreement between Hamas and Israel, which includes establishing a 48-hour truce in exchange for the release of four Israeli hostages. According to the Egyptian proposal, Israel would need to release 10 Palestinian prisoners for each hostage. However, the version agreed upon by Qatari and US representatives refers to a partial deal that involves a longer truce period and the transfer of more hostages, specifically women and the elderly.

The Axios portal quoted Israeli officials as saying that US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns has proposed a new format for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at the Doha talks, including a 28-day truce and the exchange of eight hostages for dozens of Palestinian prisoners.