Amid Israeli Military Escalation.. Hamas Announces Its Agreement to a Prisoner Exchange and Ceasefire Offer
Hamas announced on Wednesday its agreement to conclude a comprehensive deal in the Gaza Strip, in response to an offer made by U.S. President Donald Trump, while Israel continues its military escalation by launching the "second phase" of its operation.
In a statement from the movement, it said: "Hamas confirms that it is ready to release all Israeli prisoners," in a direct response to Trump's demands, who wrote via the "Truth Social" platform: "Tell Hamas to immediately return all twenty hostages (not 2 or 5 or 7), and everything will change quickly.. The war will end."
In a related context, Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, announced the start of the second phase of the "Gideon's Chariots" operation in the Gaza Strip, confirming that the goal is to "achieve the objectives of the war by intensifying combat and deepening military maneuvering." Zamir stated: "Restoring our captives is a moral and national duty. We will continue to strike at Hamas's centers of gravity until its defeat."
This escalation comes days after Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, on August 21, approved what he called "Gideon's Chariots 2" aimed at fully occupying the city of Gaza.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrained from accepting the latest offer presented by mediators for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, according to Qatari confirmations on Tuesday, while Hamas announced its agreement to that offer, opening a new avenue in the crisis amid ongoing military operations.
