Hamdan said that the mediators’ efforts to reach a deal may face a dead end as Israel continues its intransigence (Al Jazeera)
The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeera, today, Sunday, that there is no talk yet about any new round of negotiations, after reports that the Israeli delegation will arrive in Cairo this evening to discuss the exchange deal.
He added that the occupation did not make any commitments in its responses, and its answers were an attempt to procrastinate with regard to the basic points that Hamas wants answers to, which are stopping the aggression, withdrawing from Gaza, the return of the displaced to the north, and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Hamdan expressed his appreciation for the role of the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, noting that Israel's continued "intransigence" means that the mediators' efforts will face a dead end, as he put it.
He said that Israel only wants to recover its prisoners and continue the aggression in an open manner, stressing that the American position contributes to covering up Israeli "intransigence."
Speaking about the Israeli threat to invade Rafah, Hamdan stressed that Hamas is making every effort to prevent the aggression against Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, indicating at the same time that the resistance is ready for confrontation.
Hamdan stated that any attempt to invest in an Arab role to confront the Palestinians and their hopes will not be successful, he said.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that a delegation including representatives of Mossad, intelligence, and Shin Bet would leave for Cairo on Sunday to discuss the exchange deal with Hamas.
"spaced parking"
In a related development, the French news agency quoted a Hamas official as saying that the positions between the movement and Israel are far apart, so it is unlikely to reach a truce now.
The official added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not serious and is not interested in reaching an agreement, indicating that the American administration is not putting real pressure on Israel because it considers that things are still under control.
He pointed out that the movement has not yet taken a decision on whether it will send a delegation to new negotiations in Doha or Cairo, to reach a truce.
Hamas said that the basic principles underlying its vision of the negotiation file, which it presented to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar, are based on five main points: a ceasefire, an unconditional return of the displaced, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from Gaza, the entry of aid and relief materials, and reconstruction.
Israel rejected Hamas's proposal, and also rejected the movement's request to release 30 life sentencers for every female soldier, and in return, it offered to release only 5 to be determined by it.
Israel presented a detailed proposal to release the detainees, calling for the release in the first stage of 40 alive Israeli detainees of all categories.
The last round of negotiations in Doha lasted for about two weeks to reach a deal between Hamas and Israel, without producing results despite Washington expressing its optimism about the talks. It was planned to complete the negotiations in Cairo this week.
Source: Al Jazeera + French