Hamas chief says committed to truce deal if Israel is too

Hamas is committed to the truce and hostage swap deal as long as Israel is committed as well.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, said this in a recording on Friday.

He also said the victims of the war in Gaza are the “price of freedom, liberation and independence.”

Combat between Israeli troops and Hamas fighting halted on Friday for the first time in seven weeks in a temporary ceasefire ahead of the planned release of Israeli hostages held by the militants in exchange for jailed Palestinians.No big bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks were reported, although Hamas and Israel both accused each other of sporadic shootings and other violations.

Both said the war would resume on full throttle as soon as the truce was over.