Cairo/Dubai (Reuters) – A senior Hamas source told Reuters on Saturday that Hamas has accepted a US request to start negotiations on freeing Israeli detainees, including men and soldiers, 16 days after the first round of an agreement meant to put an end to the Gaza war.

According to a source who spoke to Reuters under condition of anonymity because the discussions are private, the militant Islamist group has abandoned its demand that Israel first commit to an ongoing truce before signing the accord and would enable negotiations to accomplish that over the six-week first phase.

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