Hamas says hostage deal possible if Israel sets no new conditions

People are seen inside a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in al-Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hamas said on Tuesday that reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges is possible if Israel stops setting new conditions.

In a statement, Hamas referred to the discussions on a ceasefire in Qatar's Doha on Tuesday under the auspices of the Qatari and Egyptian mediators as "serious and positive."

The indirect negotiations have gained momentum in recent weeks, to stop the fighting that has been ongoing for more than 14 months between Hamas and Israel.

Earlier in the day, media outlets reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Cairo for a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, which was denied later by Netanyahu's spokesperson.

Netanyahu's office issued an official statement, saying he had visited Mount Hermon, near the buffer zone where Israeli forces seized a Syrian army outpost before.

Egypt and Qatar, with the participation of the United States, are trying to mediate an agreement to end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that claimed the lives of about 1,200 people.

Israel responded with a massive air and ground attack on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

A member of Palestinian civil defense checks the destroyed municipality building following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Dec 14, 2024. . (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)