Hamas insists on holding hostages until the war concludes
Hamas declares it will not release hostages until the end of the war (photo: GettyImages)
Hamas militants have ruled out the possibility of further releases of hostages until Israel agrees to a complete cessation of hostilities, according to the BBC.
Approximately 120 people, kidnapped by terrorists during an attack on Israel on October 7, are believed to still be in captivity.
Negotiations for a new ceasefire between the conflicting parties are ongoing in Cairo, Egypt, but, according to reports, no agreements have been reached yet.
In a statement, Hamas said: "There is a Palestinian national decision that there should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a full cessation of aggression."
Israel-Hamas war
On October 7, militants from the Palestinian movement Hamas invaded Israeli territory. They killed, kidnapped, and tortured both military and civilians, and also fired rockets at cities. In response, Tel Aviv announced the start of a ground operation called Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip.
At the end of November, Israel signed a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages with Hamas.
The ceasefire lasted until December 1 and was broken due to Hamas shelling Israeli territory.
On December 20, Tel Aviv proposed a one-week suspension of hostilities in Gaza for a prisoner exchange, but according to reports, Hamas refused.
