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Hamas meets factions of other Palestinian organizations to discuss ceasefire

The Hamas leadership met with leaders of other Palestinian organisations last night to address a ceasefire proposal put forward by the group to Israel and which will be negotiated in Doha next week.

“As part of joint national work and continued communication in the face of Zionist aggression and the heroic steadfastness of our people, a delegation of Hamas leaders met with the Secretary General of Islamic Jihad, Ziad Nakhlah, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Jamil Mezhar,” Hamas said in a statement on its official channels. The militia does not specify where the meeting took place, nor which of the organization’s leaders attended.

“They reviewed the detailed views exchanged with the mediators and stressed that the objectives of the resistance are to stop the aggression against our people, withdraw the occupying forces, provide relief and reconstruction to our people, as well as a fair prisoner exchange agreement”, the statement notes.

Ismail Haniya, the leader of Hamas’s political bureau, presented a proposal for a new deal to mediators on Wednesday night; and the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, who leads the Israeli negotiating team, made a lightning trip yesterday to receive the proposal and meet the prime minister of Qatar, the main mediator. After the visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed his negotiating team to return to Doha next week to resume talks for a cease-fire agreement in the Strip, although he acknowledged that there were still “gaps” in the positions of both parts.

Hamas’ fundamental demand is that any agreement culminate in a definitive cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops; while Netanyahu insists the war will not end until Israel destroys the Islamists’ military and governance capabilities and returns all hostages, dead and alive. (Efe)