Hamas, has declined an Israeli peace agreement proposition, dissenting on Saturday by giving a response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators regarding the proposed agreement they had received the prior Monday. Hamas has been engaged in a conflict with Israel in Gaza for over half a year, and discussions are still at a standstill, as Hamas insists the resolution must mark the end of the conflict.
The group stated: “We… reconfirm our commitment to the demands of our nation, which include a perpetual ceasefire, the retreat of the occupational forces from the entire Gaza Strip, the restitution of the displaced to their homes, the increase of relief and aid entries, and the initiation of rebuilding processes.”
The Israeli side is aiming to ensure the safe resumption of hostages taken by Hamas during its assault on October 7th – an event that incited the conflict. It maintains that the fight will not cease until Hamas is completely obliterated as a military unit. Furthermore, it persists in its plans for a strike on Rafah, the southern Gaza city where over a million non-military persons have sought refuge.
On Saturday, Hamas claimed its readiness to finalise a hostage-prisoner exchange deal. This would enable the return of 133 hostages believed to be in Gaza, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
The Israeli side did not give an official response to Hamas’s statement.
This statement by Hamas follows a recent event where Israel caused the death of several family members of the group’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, within Gaza. This action raised worries among the family members of the hostages that the ongoing efforts to facilitate their return could be disrupted.
Haniyeh, while discussing the matter with Reuters in Qatar post his relatives’ demise, expressed his group’s continuous desire for a settlement, but blamed Israel for delaying and avoiding providing a response to Hamas’s stipulated demands.
As the conflict has rolled into its seventh month, international calls for a ceasefire have increased, yet very little progress has been observed in the negotiations.
Hamas’s demands are straightforward – an end to the Israeli offensive, withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the allowance for displaced Palestinians within Gaza to return to their homes.
Overnight, Iran initiated an attack against Israel, discharging over 300 drones and missiles, 99 per cent of which were intercepted and neutralised, according to Israeli military reports on Sunday. They confirmed that the defence forces were still fully active and were examining potential countermeasures.
In the course of a televised update, the primary military representative Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari categorised Iran’s activities as “severely serious”, indicating they were instigating a potential upsurge in regional tensions.
Since an airstrike earlier this month that resulted in the deaths of seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which included three top-ranking officers, Israel has been on a heightened state of vigilance. The strike targeted the Iranian embassy situated in Damascus.