Hamas delegation headed to Cairo on Saturday to resume Gaza ceasefire talks with a positive spirit in the latest attempt to end almost seven months of war with Israel.
Foreign mediators are awaiting Hamas’ answer to a proposal to halt combat for 40 days and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
On Friday, Hamas posted on its website, “We emphasize the positive spirit with which the Hamas leadership dealt with the ceasefire proposal it recently received, and we are going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement”.
“We in Hamas and the Palestinian resistance forces are determined to achieve an agreement that fulfills our people’s demands for a complete cessation of the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, relief and reconstruction, and a serious exchange deal”, the statement reads.
While Hamas has determined a long-term truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to crush its surviving fighters in the Southern city of Rafah, which is densely populated by displaced civilians.
The conservative prime minister has pushed on sending ground forces into Rafah, despite serious concerns voiced by UN agencies and ally United States over the safety of the 1.2 million civilians inside the city.
A top Hamas official accused Netanyahu on Friday of attempting to undermine a potential Gaza truce and hostage release deal by threatening to continue fighting the militants.
“Netanyahu was the obstructionist of all previous rounds of dialogue… and it is clear that he still is”, senior Hamas official Hossam Badran said.
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