Hamas Tells AFP It Is Ready for Ceasefire, Hostage Release

Photo Credit: Wissam Nassar/Flash 90

Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, during a news conference in Gaza City on September 30, 2009.

In the aftermath of a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, a senior Hamas official stated to Agence France-Presse that the Gaza-based terror organization is prepared to advance discussions on a truce.

“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” the official told AFP.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect on Wednesday, bringing an end to more than a year of conflict that claimed nearly 4,000 lives.

The truce, which commenced at 4 AM local time, is anticipated to conclude a conflict that has forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese from their homes. On Tuesday, President Biden hailed the ceasefire agreement, pledging to collaborate with France to ensure its implementation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hezbollah and other armed factions will withdraw from their positions in southern Lebanon and relocate north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli border.

In return, Israel has pledged to cease military operations against Lebanon by land, air, or sea. Only the Lebanese army and security forces will be authorized to transport weapons into southern Lebanon, a move aimed at bolstering state authority in the region.

תושבי אל חיאם מסתובבים מטרים בודדים מכוחות צה”ל וטנק | תיעוד@nurityohanan pic.twitter.com/fd6I8g6VmA

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 27, 2024

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the merest violation of the ceasefire agreement would be met with a fierce IDF response. Eight vehicles and a motorcycle carrying Hezbollah members that arrived at the ruins of the village of Kila near Metula Wednesday morning were attacked by an IDF force present at the scene which repelled them with mortar fire.