GAZA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Hamas said Saturday in a press statement that the release of Israeli hostages is conditional upon a cessation of the Israeli "hostilities" in the Gaza Strip.

"The equation is clear: the release of hostages in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. The world accepts it, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects it," Hamas said, adding Netanyahu is prolonging the conflict and the suffering of both "Israeli captives and Palestinian civilians."

Two informed Egyptian sources said Friday that Israeli and Egyptian authorities had exchanged draft proposals concerning a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal.

According to the sources, both sides were working to reconcile the differences between Egypt's proposal and a separate plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, to reach a unified framework for agreement.

Egypt had proposed releasing between five and eight living hostages and several bodies in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, along with the opening of the Rafah border crossing, the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the sources said.

The number of released hostages and detainees was a controversial issue in the discussion with the Israeli side, the sources said, adding that Egyptian and Qatari mediators had forwarded the Egyptian proposal to Hamas, which responded with approval.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel will soon expand its operations to most of the Gaza Strip territory, adding, "This is the last moment to remove Hamas, release all the Israeli hostages, and bring an end to the war."

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces announced in a statement that it had fully encircled southern Gaza's Rafah city by completing the establishment of the "Morag Corridor," a route in the south of the strip intended to separate Rafah and Khan Younis.

Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2. It then ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on the enclave.

The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,563 Palestinians and injured 4,004 others, Gaza health authorities said Saturday. Enditem

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