Haniyeh stressed that Hamas wants a complete halt to the aggression in Gaza (Al Jazeera)
The head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) arrived Tuesday morning in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, at the head of a delegation from his movement, to hold “discussions with Egyptian officials” about the situation in the Gaza Strip in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression for about 5 months.
A statement issued by the movement stated that Haniyeh "arrived today in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, at the head of a delegation from the movement's leadership to hold discussions with Egyptian officials about the political and field conditions in light of the aggressive war on Gaza and the efforts made to stop the aggression, provide relief to citizens, and achieve the goals of our Palestinian people."
On Saturday, Haniyeh reiterated that the movement wants a “complete cessation of aggression” in Gaza without “compromising the sacrifices of our people” and “the achievements of their resistance,” the day after US President Joe Biden called for a “temporary truce” to ensure the release of the hostages.
Haniyeh's visit comes as negotiations continue, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, between Hamas and Israel, with the aim of reaching a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and in light of international and regional concerns about the danger of Tel Aviv expanding its military operations in the city of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border, and crowded with displaced Palestinians.
Hamas insists on a complete cessation of Israeli aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from Gaza, and a commitment to reconstruction in order to reach a prisoner exchange agreement.
A truce previously prevailed between Hamas and Israel for a week from November 24 to December 1, 2023, during which a ceasefire took place, a prisoner exchange took place, and very limited humanitarian aid was brought into Gaza, with Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are about 134 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both parties.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive infrastructure destruction, which led to Tel Aviv being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide. .
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies