Gaza: Hamas said on Sunday that its delegation demanded Israel be bound by what was agreed upon on July 2, based on what was stated in U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech and the UN Security Council resolution.
The Hamas negotiating delegation left Cairo on Sunday evening after meeting with mediators from Egypt and Qatar and hearing from them the results of the latest round of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Ezzat Al-Rashq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, said in a statement.
The group is ready to implement what has been agreed upon before, in a way that achieves the supreme interests of people in Gaza and stops the aggression against them, according to the statement.
The delegation stressed that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire, Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of Gazan residents to their homes, relief and reconstruction, and a serious prisoner-hostage exchange deal, it added.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas told Xinhua on Sunday that Hamas is unlikely to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel soon, contrary to optimistic statements from the United States.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said Israel continues to maneuver mediators without providing a clear position on the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Hamas will not abandon its conditions to reach ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas wants to reach a real ceasefire deal that would end the Israeli war, allow displaced people to return to their homes, rebuild the war-torn coastal enclave, and exchange the prisoners,” the source said.
The source accused the United States of issuing incorrect statements about the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel to serve its presidential election propaganda.
“The United States is the main partner of Israel in its war in Gaza, continuing to supply Israel with weapons and provide political cover for Israel to prevent the war in Gaza from ending,” the source said, adding, “No one should believe the U.S. statements.”
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 40,405, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday.
