Hamas says it is ready for immediate negotiations to secure a full comprehensive ceasefire deal which will include a complete prisoner exchange and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Palestinian group announced on 17 April that it is willing to negotiate a deal but wants a comprehensive end to the war.
In a televised address aired on Hamas’ official platforms, Khalil Al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza and the group’s chief negotiator, called for an agreement that addresses all key issues without delay.
“Partial agreements on Gaza serve only as political cover for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s agenda of continued war, genocide and starvation,” said Al-Hayya, warning that any piecemeal arrangements would only prolong Palestinian suffering.
“We are ready to immediately engage in comprehensive package negotiations for the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for an agreed number of our prisoners held by the occupation, a complete end to the war, full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the start of reconstruction, and the lifting of the blockade,” he said.
Al-Hayya also welcomed remarks by Adam Boehler, the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, who said earlier that resolving the hostage issue could immediately end the fighting.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Boehler stated: “I can tell you that the fighting would end immediately, immediately if hostages are released.”
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Al-Hayya said Boehler’s comments confirmed that achieving a full prisoner swap and ending military operations are inseparable goals. He stressed that no arrangement would be accepted unless it ended the aggression entirely and lifted the siege on Gaza.
The Hamas leader urged urgent international intervention to halt the Israeli-imposed blockade, which he said was causing a humanitarian disaster of unprecedented scale.
“Over two million people in Gaza are being subjected to genocide by starvation,” he said.
Al-Hayya further revealed that Hamas had previously accepted a mediator-brokered proposal at the end of Ramadan, on 29 March, which outlined steps toward a ceasefire and reconstruction.
However, he accused Netanyahu’s government of rejecting the deal and responding with “unreasonable conditions” that blocked the path to peace.
Since Israel launched its military assault on Gaza in October 2023, more than 51,000 Palestinians, the vast majority women and children, have been killed. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, and vital civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, has been decimated.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly, with critical shortages of food, water, medicine, and shelter.
Aid organisations warn that famine, disease, and mass displacement threaten millions unless urgent access is granted.
Israel’s military campaign has triggered international legal proceedings. In November 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, accused of seeking to destroy Gaza’s civilian population.
Al-Hayya concluded his address by urging all parties, especially international actors, to act swiftly to secure a comprehensive agreement.
He warned that every delay deepens the humanitarian catastrophe and undermines any prospects for regional stability.
Hamas remains a proscribed group in the UK and other European countries. Expressing any kind of support for the group can lead to a prison sentence under counter terrorism charges.
Internal pressure
More than 120,000 people in Israel have signed 43 petitions demanding an end to the war on Gaza and a prisoner exchange, according to the “Restart Israel” website.
The platform allows Israelis to review and sign petitions electronically. As of Thursday, 120,522 people had signed calls urging the return of hostages and an immediate end to the war.
Israel PM Netanyahu described the petitioners as “a small, noisy, anarchistic, and disconnected group of pensioners” and said anyone inciting disobedience would be expelled.
The petition movement followed the collapse of the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal, which began on 19 Jan with Qatari and Egyptian mediation and U.S. support.
While Hamas complied with the terms, Netanyahu, under pressure from his far-right coalition, refused to move to phase two. Israel resumed military operations on 18 March.
