CAIRO – The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal, saying on April 14 that it had handed to mediators in Egypt and Qatar its response to the proposal it had received on April 8.
After more than six months of war with Israel in Gaza, the negotiations remain deadlocked, with Hamas sticking to its demands that any agreement must end the war.
“We... reaffirm our adherence to our demands and the national demands of our people... with a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction,” the militant group said.
Israel wants to secure the return of hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war, but says it will not stop fighting until Hamas is destroyed as a military force. It also says it still plans to carry out an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge.
Hamas said on April 13 that it was ready to conclude a prisoners-for-hostages swop deal with Israel, which would see the release of 133 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel.
Israel will continue to pursue its objectives in Gaza “with full force”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement following news of Hamas’ rejection.
The statement said the rejection of the proposals showed that Mr Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, did not want a deal and was trying to exploit tensions with Iran and bring about a regional escalation of the conflict.
On April 13, Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory. Iran had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guard officers, including two senior commanders. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.
The Hamas statement came a few days after Israel killed several members of the family of the group’s chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, raising fears among the families of hostages that it would derail efforts to secure their release from Gaza.
Speaking to Reuters in Qatar a day after the killing, Mr Haniyeh said his group still sought a deal but accused Israel of procrastinating and evading a response to the group’s demands.
Despite the apparent gulf between the two sides, the talks, mediated by Egypt, the US and Qatar, are ongoing in Cairo.
“The negotiations are not at a standstill”, but the mediators will have to go back to the drawing board, said Mr Hasni Abidi of Cermam, a Geneva-based think-tank. REUTERS
