Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said on Tuesday that the movement informed the mediators that it would not conclude any agreement with Israel regarding the exchange of prisoners unless there was a clear position from Tel Aviv to prepare for a permanent cessation of the war and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Hamdan stated this during a press conference held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, during which he touched on US President Joe Biden’s speech last Friday, during which he spoke about Israel submitting a three-stage proposal that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of detainees, and the reconstruction of the Strip.

Hamdan considered that Israel “did not present a new proposal,” as Biden said, but rather an “objection” to the proposal of the Egyptian and Qatari media, which Hamas received on May 5, and the Palestinian factions announced their approval of it on May 6, while Israel rejected it, claiming that it “does not meets its conditions.”

Hamdan said that what Israel presented “talks about opening the door to negotiations in everything, without end, and this is not consistent with the position that President Biden spoke about in his speech regarding a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza, which we expressed positively.”

Following Biden's recent speech, Hamas announced, in a statement on Friday, that it "will deal positively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction, the return of the displaced, completing a serious prisoner exchange deal, and intensifying relief."

Hamdan stated that the American President said in his speech that "the mediators guarantee that the negotiations will continue indefinitely until the two parties agree."

The Hamas leader considered that this "confirms that the occupation only wants one stage (of the agreement) during which it regains its prisoners, and then resumes its aggression and war against our people. The occupation does not want a ceasefire, nor does it want to reach results."

Hamdan pointed out that his movement informed the mediators of its position regarding what Israel presented through Biden.

He explained that his movement's position states that it "will not enter into an agreement, unless there is a clear position from the Israeli occupation to prepare for a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza."

He added, stressing: “We cannot agree to an agreement that does not guarantee, guarantee, or confirm a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza, and the completion of a serious and real prisoner exchange deal.”

He continued: "Now, we are waiting for the clear Israeli position on this issue, on which there is international consensus, and we call on the mediators to obtain a clear position on the Israeli occupation regarding its commitment to a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza."

Hamdan explained, "This is what the mediators informed us of; it is a national position that represents and confirms the Palestinian factions."

He stressed that the occupation "will not see its prisoners except according to a fair exchange deal through which our prisoners and detainees will enjoy freedom."

After Biden spoke on Friday about a three-stage Israeli proposal that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of detainees, and the reconstruction of the Strip, the next day, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States called on both Hamas and Israel to conclude an agreement that embodies the principles announced by Biden.

Israel did not announce a final position on what Biden announced, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described what the American president presented as “inaccurate,” and said, in press statements on Monday, that he did not agree to end the war in the second phase of the proposal, but only “discussed.” This step is according to Tel Aviv's conditions.

The Palestinian factions accuse the United States and Israel of not actually wanting to end the war, and of seeking through negotiations to buy time, hoping that Netanyahu will achieve his goals through fighting.

One of Tel Aviv's most prominent declared goals in the war is "to eliminate Hamas and return Israeli prisoners from Gaza."

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 128 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas announced that more than 70 of them were killed in random raids launched by Israel, which holds at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza. It left more than 119,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Israel continues this war despite a decision by the UN Security Council to stop the fighting immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of Rafah (south), and to take measures to prevent acts of “genocide” from occurring, and to improve the miserable humanitarian situation in the Strip.

Source: Anatolia