Hamas leader Osama Hamdan during a previous press conference in Beirut (Anatolia)

Leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera that the proposal presented by the movement on Friday to the mediators emphasizes an end to the aggression on the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the start of relief operations, but the occupation authorities are focusing on the issue of the prisoners to circumvent the issue of ending the aggression.

He stressed that the exchange of prisoners must take place, but not at the expense of basic issues, the first of which is stopping the aggression, stressing that the position of the Hamas movement is biased towards the interests of the Palestinian people.

Hamdan pointed out that the movement proposed guarantor countries for the agreement, in addition to mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Commenting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's description of Hamas' demands as "unrealistic," Hamdan said that the movement's negotiating card is realistic, stressing that Hamas provided high flexibility in the negotiations.

He stated that the Israeli side does not see any realistic proposal other than the removal of the Palestinian people, he said.

As the negotiations continued, coinciding with Netanyahu’s approval of the military plans to attack Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Hamdan stressed that Hamas is making every possible effort and dialogues with all parties to prevent an attack on Rafah, which is crowded with more than a million displaced people.

Regarding the issue of the next day of the war on the Gaza Strip, Hamdan stressed that the next day of the war will be “particularly Palestinian” and is not allowed to be tampered with by the occupation or its sponsors, with the occupation authorities seeking to find an alternative to Hamas in Gaza and trying to communicate with the Arab tribes that have completely refused to cooperate. With the occupation or to replace the Gaza government.

Hamdan said that whoever accepts to be an agent of the occupation in the issue of the next day in Gaza must bear the consequences of his choice, as he put it.

Hamas proposal

Hamas presented a proposal stipulating a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in 3 stages, each lasting 42 days.

In the first phase, Hamas stipulated that the Israeli occupation forces withdraw from Al-Rashid Street and the Salah al-Din axis for the return of the displaced and the passage of aid to the Gaza Strip.

It also offered, in exchange for the release of every living female prisoner, the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners, 30 of whom were serving life sentences.

Israel estimates the number of its prisoners held by the resistance in Gaza at about 130, but it is likely that 32 of them were killed.

With the start of the second phase, Hamas also stipulated that a permanent ceasefire be declared before any exchange of its captured soldiers.

Hamas's proposal included starting the comprehensive reconstruction process for the Gaza Strip and ending the siege, with the start of the third phase.

Source: Al Jazeera