Hamas reiterates commitment to mediation efforts to reach Gaza ceasefire deal

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas affirmed its commitment on Wednesday to mediation efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

"We reaffirm our continued positive engagement with the efforts of mediators and with any serious ideas or proposals that could lead to a comprehensive agreement," the group said in a statement.

Hamas held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government responsible for the failure of mediation efforts to reach an agreement to serve his personal political interests.

The group said a comprehensive agreement must include "a halt to aggression and genocidal war against our people, ensure a permanent ceasefire, guarantee the complete withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, secure the flow of urgent humanitarian aid, initiate reconstruction, and reach a serious prisoner exchange deal."

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 56,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.