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Top Hamas Official: Two Key Issues at Core of Hostage Talks

Taher al-Nounou, a senior Hamas official based abroad, said the group has entered a “difficult round” of hostage negotiations, with two central issues dominating the dialogue. First, al-Nounou pointed to humanitarian aid, saying Hamas demands its entry into Gaza without “mechanisms that insult Palestinian dignity or contribute to forced displacement.” The remarks were a veiled reference to U.S.-funded aid distribution sites and the new White House-backed emigration initiative. Second, he cited Israeli withdrawal lines in the first phase of the deal—terms that, in Hamas's view, would pave the way toward negotiations for a second phase. Al-Nounou stressed the “vital need for guarantees” to enter that next stage, referring to a full ceasefire and IDF withdrawal as prerequisites from Hamas’s perspective.