DaysofPal- Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim has reiterated his Movement’s readiness to engage in negotiations toward a single, comprehensive agreement that would pave the way for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The proposed deal would include a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the reopening of border crossings, and the beginning of reconstruction efforts, conditioned on a serious and honorable prisoner exchange agreement.
Naim emphasized in a press release on Wednesday that the main barrier to reaching such a resolution is still Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right administration.
“This remains the position of the Movement, and without it, no deal will be possible,” Naim said.
“Any illusions Netanyahu promotes to prolong the war will cost everyone dearly, especially their captives.”
Rejecting the idea of partial or incremental agreements, he stated firmly, “The deception of partial deals in exchange for food and water, while the genocide continues, is a relic of the past.”
Khaled Qaddoumi, the Hamas representative in Tehran, echoed these remarks on Tuesday at a political gathering organized by the Society for the Defense of the Palestinian People. He affirmed that any ceasefire proposal that disregards the rights and demands of the Palestinian people will not succeed.
“There is a national and factional consensus among Palestinians rejecting any agreement that fails to halt aggression fully, ensure Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and deliver a meaningful prisoner exchange,” Qaddoumi declared.
He further highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning, “The term ‘catastrophe’ is no longer sufficient to describe the conditions in Gaza.” He accused the United States and Western governments of enabling an ongoing genocide through their silence and complicity.
Calling for action over rhetoric, Qaddoumi urged Islamic countries to take decisive measures in support of Palestine. “It is time for decisive, effective pressure and action from Islamic countries,” he said, criticizing the inaction of several Arab and Islamic states.
He also praised the global boycott movement as a powerful tool of resistance. “The Zionist entity aims to seize more Palestinian and Arab lands and continue its massacres as part of its goal to establish a ‘Greater Israel’,” he warned.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement began on January 19 and included several rounds of prisoner exchanges. However, after two months, Israel reneged on the agreement, which had lasted 58 days, and resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, backed by unwavering U.S. support, has been committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 167,000 Palestinian casualties, the majority of whom are women and children, in addition to more than 11,000 missing persons.
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