The Palestinian Hamas movement confirmed today that it will not give up its demand for a final ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of the hostages it has been holding since the October 7 attack on Israel.

Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the movement’s military wing, said, “Our top priority for completing the prisoner exchange is full commitment to stopping the aggression and the enemy’s withdrawal, and there is no giving up on that.”

Hamas also demands the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, and the beginning of the reconstruction of the destroyed Strip.

For its part, Israel demands that Hamas provide a clear list of the names of the hostages who are still alive in Gaza.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt are working hard to secure an agreement on a truce in Gaza before Ramadan, but the negotiations that took place this week in Cairo did not lead to any tangible result.

US President Joe Biden warned this week of an extremely dangerous situation in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, if confrontations continue during the month of Ramadan.