'Will release American-Israeli hostage only if truce agreement is implemented'

Hamas said on Saturday it will only release an AmericanIsraeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements their ceasefire agreement calling it an exceptional deal aimed at getting the truce back on trackIsraeli strikes meanwhile killed eight people in the Gaza Strip including a local reporter according to medicsA senior Hamas official said longdelayed talks over the ceasefires second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 daysIsrael would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gazas border with EgyptHamas would also demand the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closeddoor talksA twentyoneyearold who grew up in Tenafly New Jersey was abducted from his military base during Hamas October 7 2023 attack that ignited the war and is the last living American citizen held in Gaza Hamas still has a total of 59 hostages 35 of whom are believed to be deadTwo Israeli airstrikes in the northern town of Beit Lahiya near the border killed at least eight people including a local reporter who was operating a droneThe Indonesian Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies and Fares Awad a local health official identified one of the dead as local reporter Mahmoud IslimThere was no immediate comment from the Israeli militaryThere has been no major fighting since the ceasefire took hold on January 19 but Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military said had entered unauthorised areas engaged in militant activities or otherwise violated the truceIsrael has cast doubt on Hamas offerThere was no immediate comment on Hamas offer from Israel where government offices were closed for the weekly SabbathPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office on Friday accused Hamas of psychological warfare after the initial offer before the militant group spelled out the conditionsThe United States said it presented on Wednesday a proposal to extend the ceasefire a few more weeks as the sides negotiate a permanent truce It said Hamas was claiming flexibility in public while privately making entirely impractical demandsNegotiations continued in Egypt after senior Hamas leader Khalil alHayya arrived in Cairo on Friday Egypt and Qatar served as key mediators with Hamas in reaching the ceasefire and have continued to host talks aimed at getting it back on trackUnder the ceasefire agreement reached in January Israel and Hamas were to begin negotiations over a second phase in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting truce in early February but so far only preparatory talks have been heldAfter the first phase ended at the beginning of this month Israel said it had agreed to a new US proposal in which Hamas would release half the remaining hostages in return for a vague commitment to negotiate a lasting ceasefireHamas rejected that offer accusing Israel of backtracking on the signed agreement and trying to sabotage the trucePalestinian official says no fuel left for water wellsIsrael has barred the delivery of food fuel and other supplies to Gazas roughly 2 million Palestinians and cut electricity to the territory to pressure Hamas to accept the new proposalThe city of Rafah on the GazaEgypt border said it could no longer provide fuel needed to pump water from dozens of wells across the cityAhmed alSufi head of the municipality said fuel shortages caused by the Israeli siege have forced it to suspend essential services threatening the lives of thousands and exacerbating the health and environmental crisisThe first phase of the truce saw the release of 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners Israeli forces pulled back to a buffer zone along Gazas border and allowed a surge of humanitarian aidAn Israeli official said last month that Israel will not withdraw from the socalled Philadelphi corridor along the GazaEgypt border as called for in the ceasefire agreement Israel has cited the need to combat weapons smugglingThe war began when Hamasled militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7 2023 killing some 1200 people mostly civilians and taking 251 hostagesMost have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals while Israel has rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens moreIsraels military offensive has killed over 48000 Palestinians mostly women and children according to Gazas Health Ministry which does not say how many of the dead were combatants Israel says it has killed around 20000 militants without providing evidenceThe war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza displaced most of the population and left nearly everyone dependent on international aid to surviveThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its 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