Agence France-Presse reported on Sunday that Hamas backed down from a central demand in its negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire and prisoner swap in which Israeli hostages will be returned for the release of terrorists. According to the report, a Hamas official said the organization agreed to begin negotiations regarding the release of the hostages without a permanent ceasefire. According to him, "Hamas in the past has presented a condition which states that Israel must agree to a full and permanent ceasefire" to begin the negotiations. The senior official added that "this issue was sorted since the mediators pledged that the ceasefire would continue as long as the negotiations for the hostages continue. "Hamas retreated from its specific condition regarding a permanent ceasefire when it agreed that the negotiations begin without a ceasefire."
