Any exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners can only take place after a cease-fire in Gaza Strip, he stressed today Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas official.

As negotiations were continuing in Cairo between him Palestinian Islamist movement and representatives of the US, Qatar and EgyptHamdan was giving a press conference in Beirut during which echoed Hamas’s terms: end of Israeli military operations, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and return of displaced persons to the areas they left.

“In the last two days, the movement presented its position on the proposal submitted by the brother mediators from Qatar and Egypt. We confirmed our conditions for achieving a ceasefire: a complete withdrawal (of troops) from the Gaza Strip and the return of the displaced to the areas they left, especially in the north.”said the Osama Hamdan, member of the Hamas politburo.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of residents remained, defying the orders of the Israeli army to evacuate. The United Nations has failed to deliver food aid to the northern Palestinian enclave since January 23. Israeli authorities have denied access to UN convoys, while US jets today dropped humanitarian aid – the first of a series of such operations to follow.

Addressing the American government, Hamdan emphasized: “We are telling Washington that more important than sending (humanitarian) aid is to stop arms supplies to Israel.”

Earlier today, Mr US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Hamas to accept an “immediate ceasefire” with Israel while negotiations are underway in Cairo between the Islamist movement and international mediators, including Qatar.

“We have an opportunity (to achieve) an immediate ceasefire, which could bring hostages back to their homes, allow a significant increase in humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, which they desperately need, and which could then create conditions of a permanent solution” to the conflict, the head of American diplomacy said in the framework of his meeting with the prime minister of Qatar in Washington.

“It is up to Hamas to decide whether it is ready to support this ceasefire”he added.