CAIRO, October 7. /TASS/. The Palestinian movement Hamas, during renewed indirect talks on the Gaza Strip peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, has called for Israel to cease fire and pull back its troops from residential neighborhoods in the enclave before the start of a hostage exchange with the radicals, reported the Sky News Arabia TV channel.
According to sources close to one of the mediator delegations, in the first round of negotiations, Hamas "set forth conditions for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from key areas of the sector, and the removal of [Israeli] military units from Gaza’s residential neighborhoods before [beginning the process of] releasing hostages."
Additionally, as reported by the Maan News Agency, the radicals continue to insist on including in the lists of Palestinians to be released in exchange for hostages six of their most prominent supporters serving long-term and life sentences in Israeli prisons. The agency notes that this Hamas demand is one of the most difficult issues to resolve and could significantly hinder reaching a comprehensive agreement between the conflicting parties.
Earlier, the first day of a new round of ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip concluded in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh. According to the Al-Kahira Al-Ikhbariya TV channel, the consultations took place "in a positive atmosphere" and are expected to continue on Tuesday.
Previously, the US President, who proposed the latest Gaza peace plan, stated that the dialogue in Sharm el Sheikh is, in his opinion, going "smoothly," and the Hamas movement is agreeing to deal on key issues. He also expressed confidence that mediators will be able to persuade the parties to reach a compromise.
On September 29, the White House unveiled Trump’s "comprehensive plan" aimed at resolving the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The document consists of 20 points. It includes, among other things, the introduction of temporary external administration in the Palestinian enclave and the deployment of international stabilization forces there. Israel has announced its agreement with this plan. Later, Hamas expressed readiness to release all living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and hand over the bodies of the deceased.