CAIRO, October 7. /TASS/. Hamas’ priorities at the current round of talks with Israel are to agree on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, Hamas Gaza office Khalil al-Hayya, who leads the group’s negotiating team, said.

"We have arrived here with a clear-cut goal" to stop the war, set free our prisoners and release Israeli hostages. We need to receive guarantees that Israel’s aggression will end once and for all," he said as cited by the Al-Qahera Al-Ikhbariya television channel.

According to al-Hayya, Hamas is set to engage in "responsible and serious talks" and "reiterates that it is ready to immediately cease hostilities."

A new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh late on October 6. Egypt and Qatar are acting as mediators. The United States is represented by special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and American leader’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.