Hamas committed to truce deal if Israel is: Ismail Haniyeh

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, said on Friday in a recording that the group is committed to the truce and hostage swap deal as long as Israel is committed as well.

He also said the victims of the war in Gaza are the “price of freedom, liberation and independence.”

Combat between Israeli troops and Hamas fighting halted on Friday for the first time in seven weeks in a temporary ceasefire ahead of the planned release of Israeli hostages held by the militants in exchange for jailed Palestinians.

No big bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks were reported, although Hamas and Israel both accused each other of sporadic shootings and other violations. Both said the war would resume on full throttle as soon as the truce was over.

Israeli bombardment since October 7 has killed nearly 15,000 people, around two thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run government.