Hamas says it has not put new demands on Gaza deal
a statement High-level Egyptian sourceOn Wednesday, the latest developments regarding the talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The source announced the conclusion of the Doha talks to calm the situation, with the participation of the head of Egyptian intelligence, Minister Abbas Kamel, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and a Hamas delegation headed by Khalil Al-Hayya.
The Egyptian source added, according to Cairo News Channel, that the talks were serious and represented a sign of hope for the end of the crisis.
#urgent | A high-level Egyptian source: The talks were serious and represent a sign of hope for the end of the crisis#Cairo_News#From_Gaza_Here_Cairo#InSolidarityWithPalestine #Palestine #Gaza
— Cairo News – AlQahera News (@Alqaheranewstv) September 11, 2024
For its part, Hamas issued a new statement in which it reaffirmed its conditions for reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, denying that it had placed additional demands on the proposed agreement.
Hamas’ statement said that the movement’s negotiating delegation met in Doha on Wednesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel to review developments on the Palestinian issue.
The movement’s delegation, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya, stressed “the movement’s continued positivity and flexibility in order to reach an agreement to cease fire in the Gaza Strip and withdraw the occupation army from all of its territories.” Gaza StripIn a way that achieves the interests of our people and paves the way for a prisoner exchange deal, relief for our people, the return of the displaced, and reconstruction.”
It also affirmed its readiness to immediately implement the ceasefire agreement based on the declaration of US President Joe Biden, the Security Council resolution, and what was previously agreed upon.
It rejected any projects related to the post-cessation of aggression on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the management of the Strip is an internal Palestinian affair. It also welcomed holding a comprehensive national dialogue with all Palestinian factions and forces to agree on a national vision to confront the repercussions of the current stage and unify the national arena.
Hamas indicated its response to the mediators’ efforts, and welcomed their continued role and efforts to reach a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip.
Months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure a halt to the fighting between Hamas and Israel, except for a one-week truce in late November.
During the only lull in the 11-month-old war, 105 hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails under a deal brokered by mediators.
The latest rounds of talks held in Doha and Cairo were based on the framework proposed by US President Joe Biden in May and a “proposal to bridge the gaps” presented to the parties in August.
Pressure for a deal mounted after Israeli authorities announced the killing of six hostages in early September and the discovery of their bodies in a tunnel in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
But in the face of external calls for an agreement, Israel and Hamas have stuck to their demands.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed his commitment to keeping forces in the “Philadelphi Corridor” on the Gaza-Egypt border, a major sticking point in the negotiations, saying it is necessary to prevent Hamas from rearming.
Last week, Egypt and then Qatar rejected Netanyahu’s comments about Hamas using the border with Egypt to smuggle weapons, accusing him of trying to distract Israeli public opinion and derail a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas also renewed in its statement its demand for Israel to withdraw from “the entire territory of the Gaza Strip.”
The Palestinian movement also confirmed that it had not submitted any new demands to the mediators, and that it “rejected any new conditions on this agreement by any party.”
