The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” issued a statement on Sunday evening, holding Netanyahu “responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts” and obstructing reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The text of the statement read: “The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) dealt responsibly with the efforts of the mediator brothers in Qatar and Egypt and with all proposals aimed at reaching an agreement to stop the aggression against our people and conclude a prisoner exchange deal, in order to spare the blood of our people, and put an end to the war of extermination, ethnic cleansing and brutal massacres committed by the occupation government and army against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
The statement added: “The movement also expressed its approval of the mediators’ proposal on 5/6/2024, welcomed President Biden’s announcement, and what was stated in the UN Security Council resolution, and responded to the proposal presented by the mediators, and approved it on 2/7/2024. Following the issu
ance of the tripartite statement, the movement asked the mediators to submit a plan to implement what they presented to the movement and approved it, so that the negotiations do not remain in a vicious circle due to Netanyahu’s procrastination and his placing more conditions and obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, in a way that serves his strategy to gain time and prolong the aggression.” He continued: “After listening to the mediators about what happened in the last round of talks in Doha, it was confirmed to us once again that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, and is setting new conditions and demands, with the aim of thwarting the mediators’ efforts and prolonging the war,” stressing: “The new proposal responds to Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, especially his rejection of a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim Junction, the Rafah Crossing, and the Philadel
phi Corridor. He also set new conditions in the prisoner exchange file, and backed down from other items, which prevents the completion of the exchange deal.”
The statement held Netanyahu: “fully responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts, and obstructing reaching an agreement, and fully responsible for the lives of his prisoners who are exposed to the same danger that our people are exposed to, as a result of his continued aggression and systematic targeting of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip.”
He concluded by saying: “We in Hamas affirm our commitment to what we agreed to on July 2, based on the Biden Declaration and the Security Council resolution, and we call on the mediators to assume their responsibilities and oblige the occupation to implement what was agreed upon.”
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted sources in the Ministry of Defense as saying that there are no indications of the possibility of reaching an agreement with Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza or concluding a prisoner exchange deal
.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency