Hamas condemns Israel’s decision to intensify Gaza offensive amid cease-fire talks

By Iyad Nabolsi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hamas condemned on Sunday evening Israel's decision to escalate military operations in the Gaza Strip, accusing Tel Aviv of attempting to gain leverage in ongoing cease-fire and prisoner exchange negotiations.

On Sunday, the Israeli news website Walla cited unnamed political sources as saying: “The Israeli security Cabinet recently instructed the military to intensify its operations in Gaza to strengthen Israel's position in the negotiations.”

As of yet, no official Israeli statement has been issued regarding this decision.

In a statement, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, described Israel's decision as “a renewed persistence in its fascist approach against the Palestinians in Gaza” and an “insistence on brutal behavior targeting defenseless civilians.”

He also blamed the international community, particularly the US administration, for its silence and failure to halt what he described as an “ongoing genocide.”

In recent days, Israeli military operations, particularly in southern Gaza, have intensified, resulting in hundreds of casualties and extensive destruction.

Hamas said on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was negotiated in Doha on Thursday and Friday, preventing the completion of the deal.

“The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas said in a statement.

Following the recent round of negotiations in Doha, Hamas confirmed “once again that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, setting new conditions and demands to sabotage the mediators' efforts and prolong the war.”

The movement emphasized its commitment to what it agreed upon on July 2, based on the proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and the UN Security Council resolution.

It called on the mediators “to fulfill their responsibilities and compel the occupation (Israel) to implement what has been agreed upon.”

Cease-fire talks in Doha concluded on Friday after presenting "a proposal that narrows the gaps" between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.

Biden said in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

For months, the US, Qatar, and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has since killed nearly 40,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,600, according to local health authorities.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio