According to Palestinian sources, Hamas has made the agreement with Israel conditional on the end of the war in Gaza

Cairo (EFE).- The Islamist group Hamas will not accept any ceasefire or hostage release deal with Israel if the agreement does not include ending the war in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian movement source close to EFE told EFE.

“We take the negotiations seriously and want to reach an agreement that will end the suffering of our people,” said the informant, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.

In this sense, he criticized the Israeli government for its “insistence” to invade Rafah, a city in the far south of the Strip and home to more than 1.4 million displaced people, instead of advocating a complete cessation of fighting. Criticized. Withdrawal of its forces from the Palestinian territories, as demanded by Hamas.

Palestinian sources told EFE on Saturday that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Islamist group in Gaza, “wants a written US commitment to end the fighting unconditionally” and also requests that Israel return released Palestinians to the occupied West Bank. Don’t let that stop you from returning to the bank. Israeli hostage exchange.

Given this disagreement, the Hamas source indicated that the movement would not respond to the proposed agreement for a ceasefire as it pending some “clarifications”, although he acknowledged that the initiative “is better than the one proposed in the previous round”. ” Of conversation.

Conversation “with a positive spirit”

Ceasefire talks, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, are taking place in Cairo in a “positive spirit” and with a number of demands from Hamas to end the war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip, the return of displaced persons . Return to their homes or begin rebuilding damaged Gaza.

Sources close to the talks consulted by EFE indicated this weekend that the proposed agreement includes the first phase of a 40-day ceasefire in which 33 of the approximately 128 Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be released while Israeli forces withdraw. . The areas where it is present are in the Gaza Strip.

The second phase will continue for a period of another 42 days, during which all remaining hostages will be released and the process of “lasting peace in Gaza” will be enhanced, while the third and final phase will include the exchange of bodies and also Will last for 42 days. ,