Hamas: “Permanent ceasefire, release impossible before complete withdrawal”
“I don’t want the Netanyahu agreement… “The ball is on America’s side.”
Biden “in the hands of Hamas”… Agreement expected before Ramadan
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas have reached a deadlock again. Hamas appears to be passing responsibility to Israel, saying there will be no release of hostages without a permanent ceasefire.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 5th (local time), Osama Hamdan, a high-ranking Hamas official, repeated his previous position in Beirut, Lebanon, that a permanent ceasefire must be prerequisite for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Hamdan emphasized, “The safety and security of our people cannot be achieved unless there is a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal (of Israeli troops) from all areas of the Gaza Strip,” adding, “Until all of this is achieved, prisoner exchange is impossible.”
Hamdan added that he made this position clear to Qatar and Egypt, the negotiating mediators.
It is also known that the conditions for the release of prisoners requested by Hamas are difficult for Israel to accept.
The Palestinians Hamas is seeking release include at least 20 prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, according to an anonymous senior Hamas official.
With these conditions, Hamas is demanding that the United States persuade Israel.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu does not want to reach an agreement,” said Bassem Naim, head of Hamas’ political wing in the Gaza Strip. “The ball is now on the United States’ side.”
The mediators say there is still room for a negotiated settlement and maintain hopes of reaching a cease-fire before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which begins on the 10th.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken on this day and expressed his determination, saying, “We will ensure that this negotiation takes place no matter who tries to undermine efforts to bring peace.” revealed.
He emphasized, “We want to see an end to humanitarian suffering and hostages returned to their families.”
When asked by reporters on the day how close the Gaza Strip negotiations were, U.S. President Joe Biden also said, “It’s in the hands of Hamas,” and “Israel is cooperating, and there was a reasonable proposal.”
“We will know what happens in a few days,” he said. “We need a ceasefire,” he said, not ruling out the possibility of an agreement before Ramadan. President Biden emphasized, “If we enter Ramadan under these circumstances, it could be very dangerous, so a ceasefire must be established.”
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been conducting ceasefire negotiations in Cairo, Egypt since the 3rd, with Israel absent.
The negotiation plan discussed at the meeting is based on a ceasefire for 40 days. It was also reported that Hamas would receive about 400 prisoners held in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of about 40 hostages.
Egypt and Qatar later pressured Hamas to compile a list of hostages scheduled for release as a first step toward a phased ceasefire with Israel.
However, Hamas refused Israel’s request for a list of surviving hostages, and Israel objected to this and did not send a negotiation team.
The Palestinian side reported that the talks broke down without any progress after Israel refused to send a delegation.
Israeli authorities did not immediately respond for comment.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.