Hamas's leader of the politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, asserted on Tuesday that the militant group is on the brink of finalizing a truce with Israel concerning the release of hostages taken on October 7 during an attack on Israel.
Following Hamas's expression of the desire for a truce, mediated through Qatar, Haniyeh stated, "The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement."
However, specific details about the agreement were not disclosed by the senior Hamas leader.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report that approximately 70% of the militant group's top leadership has been eliminated in the ongoing ground offensive in Gaza. Whether Israel will agree to a truce, possibly involving the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, remains uncertain.
The Israeli government faces pressure from hostage families, with 237 individuals, including Israelis and foreign nationals, held captive in Gaza. Of these, 40 are reportedly children.
Hamas has released four civilian hostages, an Israeli soldier was rescued, and three hostage bodies have been recovered as of now.
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