The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that it seeks to stop the aggression against the Palestinian people completely and not temporarily, reiterating its position not to enter into negotiations to exchange prisoners with Israel until after the ceasefire, amid Israeli reports of proposals for calm.
Hamas Political Bureau member Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement on Monday that the movement’s leadership seeks “with all force to stop the aggression and massacres against our people completely and not temporarily. Our people want to stop the aggression, and are not waiting for a temporary truce or a partial truce for a short period, after which the aggression and terrorism will continue.” .
Al-Rishq reiterated that “there are no negotiations unless there is a comprehensive cessation of aggression,” denying at the same time that the movement was aware of what “was published by Reuters, attributed to Egyptian security sources.”
Today, Reuters quoted two Egyptian security sources as saying that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement “rejected an Egyptian proposal to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.”
The two sources stated that Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused to make any concessions except the release of more Israelis detained in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli leaks
During the past few days, the Israeli media talked about the possibility of negotiating a new deal for the truce and the exchange of prisoners, indicating the willingness of Israeli leaders to stop the war for two weeks or more. It also pointed to news of the existence of an Egyptian proposal to reach an agreement in several stages.
This comes with increasing pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government by the families of Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, and being subjected to widespread criticism after the occupation forces killed a number of them in recent days.
Families of Israeli prisoners interrupt Netanyahu’s speech, demanding the release of their relatives#Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/CW9lPni4VT
– Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) December 25, 2023
But Netanyahu confirmed today that the war on Gaza is “far from the end” in a speech to representatives from his Likud party. He later confirmed its content in a speech to the Knesset by saying that Israel will not be able to “liberate all the hostages without military pressure.”
Al Jazeera’s correspondent said that the families of the Israeli prisoners – who attended the Knesset session – interrupted Netanyahu’s speech, demanding the release of their families.
Relatives of the detainees, who carried photos of their children, chanted “now, now” when Netanyahu said the army needed “more time” to complete the military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Stress at the highest levels
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 quoted sources as saying that there is tension at the highest Israeli political and security levels regarding the issue of detainees, and that Netanyahu is preventing Defense Minister Yoav Galant from holding individual discussions on this issue with the head of the Mossad.
Hamas had reached a truce with Israel, mediated by the State of Qatar and in coordination with Egypt and the United States, which lasted for 7 days starting on November 24, during which 80 Israeli detainees were released by the Palestinian resistance and more than 20 foreigners in exchange for the release of 240 detainees. Palestinian prisoners, including children, boys and women.
Hamas says that the price for releasing the remaining Israeli prisoners is to “wash the occupation prisons” of all Palestinian prisoners, whether in one batch or in piecemeal deals.
Since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on the seventh of last October, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza that has left 20,674 martyrs and 54,536 wounded as of today, Monday, according to what the Ministry of Health in the Strip announced.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies + Israeli press
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2023-12-25 20:10:19
