Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said they were still open to talks with Israel, after a team of mediators so far failed to reach a ceasefire agreement during Ramadan in the Gaza war.
“I say clearly that the party that bears responsibility for not reaching an agreement is the occupation (Israel). “However, I said that we are open to continuing negotiations,” Haniyeh said in a speech broadcast on television, Sunday (10/3).
The mediators have pushed for a temporary halt to the war, which is now entering its sixth month, before Ramadan begins. However, Haniyeh said Israel did not want to meet the requirements put forward.
He reiterated that Hamas wants a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza strip, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and increased access to humanitarian aid in the besieged region where famine threatens.
Israel has refused to withdraw all its troops, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue his aggression to destroy Hamas, even after a ceasefire agreement.
An Israeli statement Saturday accused Hamas of strengthening its position like someone who is not interested in the deal and trying to wage war in the region during Ramadan.
Also read: The ceasefire discourse has failed because Israel wants to continue the massacre in Gaza
Haniyeh said he had been in contact with mediators several hours before his speech but to no avail.
“If we receive from the mediator brothers a clear position on the occupation with their commitment to withdraw, stop the aggression and repatriate the refugees, we are ready to complete the agreement,” he said.
The Gaza conflict began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
The militants also held around 250 people hostage, dozens of whom were freed during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Israel believes 99 hostages are alive and 31 people are dead.
Israel responded with brutal military aggression that killed at least 31,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. (AFP/M-3)
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