The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said that it viewed positively what was included in US President Joe Biden’s speech, which included his call for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, and an exchange of prisoners.

In a statement, Hamas considered that this American position and the conviction that has been established on the regional and international scene of the necessity of putting an end to the war on Gaza is the result of the legendary steadfastness of our struggling people and their valiant resistance.

The movement affirmed its position of readiness to deal positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal if the occupation declares its explicit commitment to that.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza estimates that 36,000 Palestinians have been martyred in the Strip since Israel began its war on the Strip, following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which Israel says was a “Hamas attack” that killed 1,200 people, including 311 soldiers, according to Israeli reports.

The official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation had reported hours before Biden’s speech that American officials had informed their Israeli counterparts of the existence of an “important” speech by Biden in which he would address the war on the Gaza Strip, and said that the prevailing feeling in the American administration was that the war on Gaza was approaching a dead end. Because of Hamas’ rejection of the proposed deal,” Washington is trying to intensify international efforts to pressure Hamas to achieve that deal.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Biden, in his speech, will call on Hamas to accept the exchange deal and will present his plan for regional peace.
An American official told Axios earlier on Friday that White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with diplomats from 17 countries whose nationalities are held by the Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip.