Hamas Leaders Refuse to Free Hostages Until Israel Stops Ground Attack 

While Hamas leaders have been urging Egypt and other negotiating countries to establish a truce between them and Israel in their ongoing war, they have refused to let go of any more Israeli hostages until Israeli troops stop their attack. The Guardian has reported that Ismail Haniyeh, who is among the most influential Hamas leaders residing in Qatar, recently arrived in Egypt for the negotiations. However, Israeli officials have displayed no willingness to stop their ground assault or heed any related requests of Hamas envoys.

A source also informed the publication that a local Palestinian militant group called Islamic Jihad is holding a group of Israeli hostages. US President Joe Biden recently spoke to reporters and shared updates on the hostage deal. He said that while the deal is not expected to be agreed upon any time soon, they were ‘pushing’ for it. Israel and Hamas recently ended their temporary ceasefire after Hamas agreed to let go of some of the hostages. More details on this matter are now awaited.

Images source: Reuters