Hamas demands full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for hostage release

Delegates from the Palestinian movement Hamas have demanded that any phased release of hostages be directly tied to a full and gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, according to high-level sources cited by Al Jazeera.

During the second day of indirect negotiations with Israel in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hamas representatives reportedly insisted that each stage of hostage release must coincide with a corresponding stage of Israeli troop withdrawal. The delegation emphasised that the release of the final group of hostages should only occur once Israeli forces have fully exited the enclave.

According to sources within the group, talks on October 7 were focused on mapping out potential troop withdrawal routes and establishing a timeline for the release of hostages.

The Palestinian side also called for international guarantees that the war would come to a definitive end, the Al Jazeera report added.

Amid these developments, US President Donald Trump expressed renewed optimism regarding progress on a potential Gaza ceasefire deal. He confirmed that a US team had departed to participate in the Egypt-based negotiations, which involve Israeli and Hamas officials alongside international mediators.

By Sabina Mammadli