Hamas agrees to release 10 hostages

Hamas is willing to free 10 hostages but demands, in return, unrestricted access for necessary aid to the Gaza Strip and an end to Israeli attacks on the enclave, Hamas official Taher al-Nunu says.

Al-Nunu said the group agreed to the latest truce proposal, noting that negotiations are under way on two key issues: the unfettered entry of aid and “mechanisms” aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians, he added.

Israeli troop withdrawal lines in the first phase of a ceasefire should be drawn up in a way that does not affect Palestinian lives and “paves the way for the second phase of negotiations.”