Hamas has declared its refusal to participate in ceasefire negotiations while ‘Israel’ maintains its siege of the Gaza Strip. However, the movement has signaled a willingness to engage in a hostage exchange agreement should ‘Israel’ cease its military operations in the enclave.
In a statement released on Thursday, Hamas emphasized, “The Hamas movement and the Palestinian factions will not partake in negotiations under the conditions of ongoing aggression, killings, siege, starvation, and the genocide of our people.”
Hamas further communicated to mediators, “We have made our stance clear: if the occupation halts its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, we are prepared to finalize a comprehensive agreement that includes a full-scale exchange deal.”
This declaration from Hamas follows Israel’s recent announcement of its plans to extend its military campaign in Gaza for an additional seven months and its capture of the Philadelphi Corridor, a key strategic area bordering Gaza and Egypt.
On Thursday, CIA Director William Burns reviewed a Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas earlier this month before it was submitted to Israeli officials, Egyptian intelligence officials said.
Last week, CNN reported that an Egyptian intelligence official had “quietly changed” the terms of the proposal, surprising negotiators and leading to Israel rejecting the deal.
According to three anonymous sources cited by CNN, the proposal approved by Hamas on 6 May was different from the one originally submitted to the group by the Qataris or Americans.
The sources said the changes were made by Major General Ahmed Abdel Khalek, the deputy head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service.
Burns was reportedly angry and embarrassed. He “almost blew a gasket”, one of the sources told CNN.
However, Egyptian intelligence sources revealed that Burns was among several mediators who reviewed the draft before it was sent to ‘Israel’.
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