Hamas has called on Israel to enter negotiations for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire after the group handed over the bodies of four hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, AFP reports.
In Gaza and the West Bank, AFP journalists saw hundreds of prisoners being released early Thursday, and Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News said 97 of them who were marked for deportation by Israeli authorities had arrived on the Egyptian side of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing.
Negotiations for a second phase of the deal, which is meant to lead to a permanent end to the conflict, have yet to begin.
“We have cut off the path before the enemy’s false justifications, and it has no choice but to start negotiations for the second phase,” Hamas said on Telegram.
