Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a deal to exchange Palestinian prisoners for Israeli women and children held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported on Monday citing an unnamed high-ranking Israeli official.
The armed wing of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas said on Monday that it told Qatari mediators the group was ready to release up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in return for a five-day truce with Israel.
"Last week, there was an effort from the Qatari brothers to release the enemy captives from women and children [sic], in return for the release of 200 Palestinian children and 75 women detained by the enemy," Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades armed wing of Hamas, said in an audio recording posted on the group's Telegram channel.
"The truce should include a complete ceasefire and allow aid and humanitarian relief everywhere in the Gaza Strip," he said.
The terrorist spokesman also accused Israel of "procrastinating and evading" the price of the deal.