European Council President Charles Michel expressed his support on Friday for the call by mediating countries, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, to start negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a post on the X platform, Michel pointed out that many people have lost their lives in Gaza so far.

He stressed that the destruction in the region must stop and the prisoners must be released.

Michel pointed out that he provides "full support" to the United States, Egypt and Qatar in their mediation efforts.

"The region is on the brink of a terrible conflict, we urgently need a ceasefire," he added.

On Thursday, a tripartite statement was issued by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, calling for the resumption of truce negotiations next week, “not to waste time, and to begin implementing the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange without any delay by any party.”

They said that "as mediators, we are ready - if necessary - to put forward a final proposal to overcome the gaps and resolve the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties."

At the beginning of last June, Biden presented the terms of a deal offered to him by Israel "to stop the fighting and release all the kidnapped (Israeli prisoners in Gaza)," and Hamas accepted it at the time, according to Hebrew media.

But Netanyahu added new conditions that both Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Mossad chief David Barnea considered would hinder reaching a deal.

These conditions included preventing the return of what he called "Palestinian militants" from the south of the Gaza Strip to its north by inspecting returnees at the Netzarim axis, which the Israeli army established near Gaza City and separates the north of the Strip from its south, and the Israeli army remaining at the Philadelphi axis on the border between Gaza and Egypt, which it announced its control over on May 29.