Hamas denies Qatari proposal to exile group leaders from Gaza

By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Hamas has denied reports about a Qatari proposal for exiling the group leaders from the Gaza Strip in return for halting a deadly Israeli offensive.

The Israeli Channel 13 had reported earlier that a new proposal has been delivered to Israel from Qatar, aiming to release all the Israeli hostages held in Gaza in several stages.

The channel noted that the proposal includes the departure of Hamas leaders from the Gaza Strip, with no official confirmation from either Israel or Qatar.

Asked about the channel's report, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan told a press conference held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, that there is no initiative of this kind.

Hamdan considered the Israeli media's coverage of this initiative as a misleading and deceptive operation to calm the angry public, especially the families of hostages who see their children being killed by the occupation without any concern from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamdan reiterated Hamas' stance, affirming of rejecting any prisoner exchange initiative unless comprehensive cease-fire is reached in Gaza Strip.

Up until now, there is no discussion of any initiatives. We are committed to our position, having presented a clear vision to the mediators, and this vision forms the basis for any initiatives, he said.

Egypt, Qatar and US mediate efforts to achieve a second temporary humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has pounded the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, killing at least 23,357 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 59,410 others, according to health authorities. Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas offensive.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced, while all of the population is food insecure, according to the UN. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio