By Mohamed Majed
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Saturday called Gaza cease-fire proposals a “smokescreen" as they do not include an end to the Israeli war or withdrawal from the enclave.
Senior Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq said cease-fire proposals floated in recent days don’t include an end to the Israeli assault, withdrawal from Gaza, or the return of displaced Palestinians to their areas.
"We are positively engaged with any proposals and ideas that ensure the cessation of aggression and the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza,” he added.
Rishq accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the negotiations as “a cover to continue his aggression.”
“The role-swapping game between the occupation and the US administration is ongoing in Lebanon, just as it is in Gaza,” he said.
Hamas on Tuesday announced that it had responded to mediators' requests to discuss new proposals regarding a cease-fire in Gaza and to finalize a hostage swap deal with Israel.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry also stated that mediation efforts are ongoing regarding a cease-fire in Gaza.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have so far failed to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Oct. 18 may lead to a breakthrough in talks.
Hamas, however, says the conflict will only end when Israel stops its military campaign in the blockaded enclave, which has killed over 43,300 people since October 2023.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala