Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan stated that the terror group would not conduct a "prisoner exchange" unless an agreement is reached to fully end the Israel-Hamas War in an interview on Qatari-owned Al Araby TV on Thursday.
"Prisoner exchange" is a term used by the terror organization to refer to the release of Israeli hostages held in captivity, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners currently being held in Israeli prisons under suspicion and charges of terror activity.
Hamdan told the TV channel that the agreement reached in Egypt represents "a final ceasefire" and claimed that the world should "monitor Israel's behavior towards implementing the agreement."
He also claimed to the TV channel that mediators provided "clear guarantees" that Israel would not break the ceasefire agreement, and that the US is the primary backer of the agreement.
In addition, he told the channel that 250 Palestinian prisoners held under life sentences, and 1,700 prisoners who are residents of the Gaza Strip, will be released. This includes "all our senior prisoners named on the list," he claimed.
Another senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to sabotage the ceasefire agreement, with Israel stalling on implementing the deal, according to the terror group.
The terror group as a whole published a statement on their official news agency, SAFA, earlier on Thursday.
In the statement, Hamas praised terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the West Bank for "displaying unparalleled pride, heroism, and honor in confronting the fascist occupation's schemes."
The terror group will "remain faithful to its pledge, and will not relinquish national rights, including freedom, independence, and self-determination," the statement added.
Palestinian Joint Operations Room praises 'heroic people of Gaza'
In addition, the Palestinian Joint Operations Room, a coordination between terror groups in the Gaza Strip, including Hamas's Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, among others, issued a statement on the ceasefire agreement.
In the statement, the joint operations room claimed that they have consistently demanded an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire since the Israel-Hamas war began two years ago, including "lifting of the blockade, allowing the entry of aid, reconstruction, and a prisoner exchange."
The group addressed the "heroic people of the Gaza Strip," telling them that "with your unity, solidarity, faith, and confidence in your resistance, you are creating glory that will be immortalized in history."
"You affirm that the will of the Palestinian people will not and will not be defeated, no matter how intense the siege and aggression," they added.
They also claimed that Palestinian negotiators showed a "sense of responsibility and high flexibility" during the process, responding to US President Donald Trump's proposal in an "intelligent and positive" manner.