The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Thursday it was committed to the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, as negotiators push to overcome an impasse regarding the implementation of the agreement.
"We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it. Mediators are pressuring (Israel) to complete the full implementation of the agreement, oblige the occupation to abide by the humanitarian protocol, and resume the exchange process on Saturday," a Hamas spokesman said in a statement.
Palestinian sources close to negotiations reported progress in efforts to salvage the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, with a view to ensuring that a hostage-prisoner exchange goes ahead this weekend as planned.
"There is progress," one source told AFP, adding that mediators had obtained from Israel a "promise... to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning".
"Hamas has confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment... to conducting the sixth exchange of prisoners on time, on Saturday, as soon as Israel honours its commitment," another source said.
The first source said that once mediators confirm Israel's final approval, then "prefabricated units, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicine, materials for repairing hospitals and everything linked to the humanitarian protocol" can begin entering the territory.
The fragile ceasefire has been strained in recent days after US President Donald Trump warned that "hell" would break loose if Hamas failed to release all the hostages being held in Gaza by Saturday.
Following those remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would resume "intense fighting" in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon, without specifying whether he was referring to all the captives.
Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that should the war resume, it "will be different in intensity", and "will not end without the defeat of Hamas".
With AFP
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