Hamas Official: Ceasefire and Hostage Deal Must Guarantee the End of the War

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A senior Hamas representative told Al Jazeera on Friday that any truce and agreement for the release of hostages must ensure “the war’s end and a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

He emphasized that the deal must “include significant humanitarian aid for the Strip and meet demands related to the release of Palestinian prisoners.”

In a related development, Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad mentioned that the recent round of negotiations in Qatar did not result in any substantial agreements. He accused Israel of derailing the discussions, as reported by Haaretz.

Hamad asserted that Netanyahu “is attempting to introduce a new proposal, with the US’s involvement, to buy time.” He stressed that Hamas will not permit any Israeli presence in the Strip at any stage.

These remarks from Hamas leaders came after the second day of discussions in Doha, Qatar, focused on a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.

Following these talks, the US, Egypt, and Qatar issued a statement expressing optimism about reaching an agreement by the end of the coming week, aiming to free hostages, save lives, provide relief to Gaza, and reduce regional tensions.

US President Joe Biden later remarked that “we’re closer than we have ever been before” to securing a deal for the release of hostages.

“We are closer than we have ever been…I don’t want to jinx anything, but we may have something. We’re not there yet, but much, much closer than it was three days ago,” Biden stated at the White House.

Subsequently, he released a statement urging all parties in the Middle East not to hinder efforts to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Despite the resistance from Hamas to the proposed framework, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Friday that the ceasefire and hostage release process is “now in the end game.”

The official downplayed Hamas’s public statements, saying, “I know there’s a lot of public statements from Hamas right now. I wouldn’t take anything too seriously.”

He further noted that Hamas is under significant pressure to finalize an agreement and warned, “Should Hamas say no, think about what they’re doing to the people of Gaza.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

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