On Thursday, Hamas announced that it had informed mediators of its refusal to engage in further negotiations amid ongoing hostilities. The group expressed its willingness to reach a “complete agreement,” including the exchange of hostages and prisoners, contingent upon Israel halting its military operations.
The statement from Hamas comes amid repeated, unsuccessful attempts to mediate a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, with Egypt and Qatar among the key mediators. Both sides have accused each other of hindering progress in the talks.
Despite an order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to cease its attacks, Israel has continued its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The latest statement from Hamas condemned the ongoing aggression, stating, “Hamas and the Palestinian factions will not accept to be part of this policy by continuing (ceasefire) negotiations in light of the aggression, siege, starvation, and genocide of our people.”
Hamas clarified its position to mediators, asserting, “If the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, our readiness (is) to reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal.”
Israel has previously dismissed similar offers from Hamas as inadequate. The Israeli government maintains its objective to dismantle a group it views as a threat to its existence, emphasizing that the Rafah offensive aims to rescue hostages and eliminate Hamas fighters.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of Israel’s offensive. This military operation was launched in response to an attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israeli communities on October 7 of the previous year, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of over 250 hostages, based on Israeli reports.
