Hamas says it’s ready for more ceasefire talks after prisoner exchange

The militant organization Hamas announced on Thursday its willingness to start discussions regarding the next stage of a ceasefire in Gaza following the overnight release of several hundred Palestinians from Israeli prisons in exchange for the remains of four Israeli hostages.

It marked the last exchange of the initial six-week phase of a ceasefire that started on January 19 during the Gaza conflict.

Discussions have not commenced regarding a second phase, which is intended to eventually result in a lasting resolution to the conflict that erupted in October 2023 when fighters led by Hamas attacked Israeli communities and Israel retaliated with an offensive that has ravaged the enclave. On Thursday, Hamas stated that the sole manner in which remaining hostages in Gaza would be released is by adhering to the ceasefire.

“We renew our full commitment to the ceasefire agreement, and confirm our readiness to enter into negotiations for the second phase of the agreement,” the group said in a statement.Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said returning the remaining 59 hostages was a top priority, but that there will be no agreement on the second stage of the ceasefire if Hamas is left intact in Gaza. “Our demands are clear,” Cohen, a security cabinet member, told public broadcaster Kan.

Cohen stated that Israel is currently in a better position to negotiate than it was just before the ceasefire, as it receives complete support from President Donald Trump’s U.S. administration, which started sending heavy bombs this month. Israel had previously declined to free prisoners on Saturday following Hamas’s transfer of six hostages in a choreographed event.

The Palestinians freed overnight consist of 445 men and 24 women and minors held in Gaza, alongside 151 inmates serving life sentences for lethal assaults on Israelis, as per a Hamas source. A single bus carried detainees from Ofer prison in Israel’s Occupied West Bank to Ramallah, where enthusiastic crowds had assembled to welcome them. Former inmate Bilal Yassin, 42, informed Reuters that he spent two decades in Israeli custody.