CNN —Hamas said Tuesday there could be no “exchange of prisoners” before a ceasefire in Gaza, as it responded to proposals from Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
“Any prisoner exchange will not be completed except after the completion of all this.”Hamdan also accused Israel of stalling on reaching an agreement and warned that the negotiations would not be “open-ended” as Israel continues its offensive in Gaza.
The response came just hours after US President Joe Biden said a potential ceasefire was “in the hands of Hamas” as he boarded Air Force One at Hagerstown airport.
Biden said the “Israelis have been cooperating” and that a ceasefire is necessary.
“We need a ceasefire,” he said, calling the deal on the table a “rational offer” and saying the Israelis had agreed to it.
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