Hamas Sets Priorities in Negotiations as Families of Captives Demand “Full Mandate”

Watan-The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has outlined its priorities in the Doha negotiations, while the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza have called for granting the Israeli delegation full authorization to secure the release of all captives at once.

Hamas stated that the negotiations in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, focused on ending the genocide, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the reconstruction process.

In a statement, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said that the movement had shown flexibility in dealing with the mediators and Trump’s envoy and was awaiting the outcome of the upcoming negotiations to ensure Israel fulfills the terms of the ceasefire agreement and moves to the second phase.

He emphasized that Hamas had fully adhered to the “first phase of the agreement” and that its current priorities were to provide shelter and relief for Palestinians in Gaza and secure a permanent ceasefire.

Al-Qanoua accused Israel of tightening the siege on Gaza, closing border crossings, and blocking humanitarian aid as part of an attempt to force Palestinians to emigrate, calling these efforts “delusional dreams.”

He also dismissed Israeli threats of resuming military operations in Gaza and cutting off electricity, describing them as “failed options” that only endanger Israel’s own captives, who, he said, could only be freed through negotiations.

Hamas Accuses Israel of Stalling

In another statement, Hamas reaffirmed its full commitment to the ceasefire agreement and its willingness to immediately enter negotiations for the second phase.

The movement accused Israel of reneging on the agreement and refusing to proceed with the second phase, saying this “exposes its intent to evade and stall.” It also blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for obstructing the deal for personal and political reasons.

Hamas rejected attempts to pressure the movement while allowing Israel to evade accountability for failing to meet its commitments. It stressed that threats of war and coercion would be ineffective and that negotiations and adherence to the agreement were the only viable paths forward. Any other course of action, it warned, would be a gamble with the fate of the captives.

U.S. Envoy: Talks Were “Very Useful”

U.S. President Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, described his meeting and exchange of views with Hamas as “very useful,” noting that the talks focused on all prisoners in Gaza, not just American captives.

Boehler stated that Hamas had proposed a full prisoner exchange and a ceasefire lasting between five and ten years, during which it would refrain from military or political interference.

He described Hamas’s proposal as “good” and said that achieving a long-term truce in Gaza was possible.

Israeli Families Demand Full Mandate for Negotiations

Meanwhile, the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza urged the Israeli delegation in Doha to be given full authority to negotiate the release of all captives at once.

In a statement on Monday, the families said that testimonies from freed captives left no doubt that “time is running out” for the hostages. They warned that in the previous prisoner exchange, some hostages had returned dead when they could have been saved, and that delays in negotiations would lead to more unnecessary deaths.

Israel has threatened to resume the war if negotiations fail, having already reneged on implementing the first phase of the agreement and refusing to proceed with the second phase.

Israel aims to extend the ceasefire deal to include a prisoner exchange but without ending the war or fully withdrawing from Gaza, as stipulated in the agreement.

At the beginning of March, Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza in a clear violation of the agreement, intending to pressure Hamas into extending the first phase of the deal.