In a statement issued on Saturday, the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said that Israel is fully responsible for the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations.
Haniyeh’s comments were made at a time when Israel’s Channel 13 said that an official Israeli delegation will head to Qatar next week to discuss a new truce agreement that could lead to an exchange of prisoners.
What Did Haniyeh Say?
Haniyeh made six points that delineate Hamas’ current position on the truce negotiations.
One, Hamas holds Israel responsible for the lack of progress on ceasefire talks.
Two, Hamas continues to deal with suggestions by mediators in a positive and constructive way, with the main objective of ending the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people.
Three, the Israeli occupation continues to maneuver and procrastinate regarding all the important issues that are needed to be resolved for a prisoner exchange to take place.
‘Our Conditions’ – Full Text of Hamas Response to Ceasefire Proposal
Four, Hamas will not accept anything less than a complete cessation of aggression, full withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and the lifting of the siege imposed on the Strip.
Five, Hamas’ goal is to achieve a prisoner exchange deal through which Palestinian prisoners, especially elders and those with high sentences, will be released first.
Six, Hamas will continue to do everything in its power to stop the Israeli bloodshed targeting Palestinian civilians.
What is the Israeli Position?
In a related context, Israel’s Channel 13 said on its website that an official Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, next week, to discuss a possible prisoner exchange deal.
The Israeli media channel said that the delegation is also expected to be given a specific mandate to formulate a response to Hamas’ demands, depending on the circumstances that will arise in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, KAN, said that there is a dispute between members of the Israeli War Council, where Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot have threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dissolve the cabinet.
‘Beginning of the End’ – Abu Obeida on the ‘Illusion, Lies, and Confusion’ of Israel
Gantz and Eisenkot were particularly unhappy with what they described as Netanyahu’s unilateral decision regarding the issue of detainees.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has also reportedly expressed his displeasure with Netanyahu not to send an Israeli delegation to Cairo, which led to the failure of the latest round of talks.
Massacres Continue
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 28,858 Palestinians have been killed, and 68,677 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
The war will continue as long as Israel is funded and subsidized . Where are the so-called Arab brothers? Missing in action again. Visiting Washington to see what they can get for themselves.