New York Times: Hamas rejects US initiative to exchange hostages with prisoners

The radical Palestinian movement Hamas did not agree to the exchange of hostages with those imprisoned in Israel under the terms proposed by the US, The New York Times reported, citing sources.

According to them, during the meeting held in Paris on February 23, the US presented a resolution to exchange the 40 hostages held in Gaza with several hundred Palestinians—who are held in Israeli prisons.

The sources did not specify why Hamas did not agree to accept these conditions, but noted that the refusal of the radicals could be one of the excuses for Israel not to send its delegation to Cairo for negotiations, where representatives of Qatar, the United States, and the Palestinian movement have already assembled.