Sami Abu Zuhri has denied reports that Hamas had agreed to release nine Israeli prisoners in exchange for a two-month truce, Al Jazeera reports.

In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, the senior Hamas official said that the group is ready for a mass release of captives if Israel agrees to end the war under international guarantees.

“We took the initiative to hand over soldier Edan Alexander to create an atmosphere for reaching an agreement, but the US administration did not appreciate our step,” he said.

He also added that Hamas is not concerned about its future, and that its “operations continue despite the massive military imbalance with the Israeli army”.

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