ISTANBUL

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya called Tuesday for “real” guarantees to ensure an end to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

“We affirm our full readiness to reach (a deal to) end the war, withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza, and release all Israeli captives – both alive and dead – in exchange for Palestinian prisoners specified under (US President Donald) Trump’s plan,” al-Hayya told Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News channel.

“However, the Israeli occupation has continued killing and blocking aid, especially in northern Gaza, since we announced our approval of Trump’s plan.”

The Hamas chief stressed that Israel violated the first ceasefire deal in November 2023 and resumed the war.

“Israel has never honored its promises throughout history,” he said.

“We have tested the occupation and do not trust it for even a single moment,” al-Hayya said, calling for “real guarantees” from the international community, President Trump, and the states sponsoring the negotiations.

He stressed that Hamas seeks to achieve “the goals and aspirations of the Palestinian people for stability, freedom, statehood, and self-determination.”

“The war must end forever so that our Palestinian people may live in stability like other peoples of the region.”

Hamas and Israel held a second day of indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday to reach a ceasefire and prisoner swap under Trump’s Gaza plan.

On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point proposal that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza. Hamas agreed to the plan in principle.

The Israeli military has killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable and has led to mass displacement, starvation, and the proliferation of disease.