A child looks on at the site of an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2025.
PHOTO: Reuters
April 17, 2025 9:41 PM
CAIRO - Hamas wants a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, rejecting Israel's offer of an interim truce.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's Gaza chief who leads its negotiating team, said the group would no longer agree to interim deals, adopting a position that Israel is unlikely to accept and potentially further delaying an end to the devastating attacks that restarted in recent weeks.
Instead, Hayya said Hamas was ready to immediately engage in "comprehensive package negotiations" to release all remaining hostages in its custody in return for an end to the Gaza war, the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
"Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages)," said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We will not be part of passing this policy."
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before it broke down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other.
"Hamas's comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell," said National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Israel had proposed a 45-day truce in Gaza to allow hostage releases and potentially begin indirect talks to end the war. Hamas has already rejected one of its conditions - that it lay down its arms. In his speech, Hayya accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with "impossible conditions."
Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on Jan 19. In March, Israel's military resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.
Israeli officials say that the offensive will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.
Israeli strikes
On Tuesday (April 15), the armed wing of Hamas armed said the group had lost contact with militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander after the Israeli army attacked their hideout. Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.
The armed wing later released a video warning hostages' families that their "children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army."
Israeli military strikes killed at least 32 Palestinians, including women and children, across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said.
One of those strikes killed six people and wounded several others at a UN-run school in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre.
The war was triggered by Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities.
Source: Reuters
CAIRO - Hamas wants a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, rejecting Israel's offer of an interim truce.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's Gaza chief who leads its negotiating team, said the group would no longer agree to interim deals, adopting a position that Israel is unlikely to accept and potentially further delaying an end to the devastating attacks that restarted in recent weeks.
Instead, Hayya said Hamas was ready to immediately engage in "comprehensive package negotiations" to release all remaining hostages in its custody in return for an end to the Gaza war, the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
"Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages)," said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We will not be part of passing this policy."
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before it broke down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other.
"Hamas's comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell," said National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Israel had proposed a 45-day truce in Gaza to allow hostage releases and potentially begin indirect talks to end the war. Hamas has already rejected one of its conditions - that it lay down its arms. In his speech, Hayya accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with "impossible conditions."
Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on Jan 19. In March, Israel's military resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.
Israeli officials say that the offensive will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.
Israeli strikes
On Tuesday (April 15), the armed wing of Hamas armed said the group had lost contact with militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander after the Israeli army attacked their hideout. Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.
The armed wing later released a video warning hostages' families that their "children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army."
Israeli military strikes killed at least 32 Palestinians, including women and children, across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said.
One of those strikes killed six people and wounded several others at a UN-run school in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre.
The war was triggered by Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities.
Source: Reuters
Hamas formally rejects Israeli ceasefire deal
Friday 18 April 2025
Credit: AP
Hamas has formally rejected a ceasefire deal presented by Israel earlier this week but insists Hamas is "immediately" ready to negotiate a deal.
In a televised statement from Qatar on Thursday night, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of negotiating for Hamas said: "The resistance and its weaponry are linked to the existence of the [Israeli] occupation, and it is a natural right for our people and all peoples under occupation."
Al-Hayya insisted that Hamas is "immediately" ready to begin negotiations for an agreement that would see the release of the remaining hostages for an "agreed-upon number" of Palestinian prisoners.
Such an agreement would include the beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction and an end to the blockade of the region.
The Israeli plan had called for a 45-day truce, during which the two sides would aim to negotiate a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas has formally rejected a ceasefire deal presented by Israel earlier this week but insists Hamas is "immediately" ready to negotiate a deal.
In a televised statement from Qatar on Thursday night, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of negotiating for Hamas said: "The resistance and its weaponry are linked to the existence of the [Israeli] occupation, and it is a natural right for our people and all peoples under occupation."
Al-Hayya insisted that Hamas is "immediately" ready to begin negotiations for an agreement that would see the release of the remaining hostages for an "agreed-upon number" of Palestinian prisoners.
Such an agreement would include the beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction and an end to the blockade of the region.
The Israeli plan had called for a 45-day truce, during which the two sides would aim to negotiate a permanent ceasefire.
IDF strikes hospital in southern Gaza after Palestinian death toll passes 50,000
Palestinian Red Crescent demands investigation into Gaza paramedics' deaths
Under the proposal, the remaining 59 hostages would be released in stages, starting with American-Israeli hostage, Edan Alexander, on the first day of the truce as a "special gesture" to the US.
A further nine Israeli hostages would be released in two stages in exchange for 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,100 detainees held without charge since October 7, 2023.
Israel also demanded that Hamas provide information about the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the group, "in exchange for information about the Palestinian detainees".
The proposal also included the release of the bodies of 16 deceased Israeli hostages for the remains of 160 deceased Palestinians held by Israel.
Khalil Al-Hayya, Head of negation for Hamas.Credit: AP
Hamas studied the proposal for several days before responding but it stood little chance of success.
Hamas had repeatedly made clear that it demanded an end to the war as part of any hostage release, and it refused calls for a complete disarmament.
Hamas also called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, while the Israeli proposal only included a temporary redeployment of the military.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel would continue its bombardment of Gaza.
"The state of Israel shall not surrender to Hamas and won’t end the war without the complete victory and fulfillment of all its objectives, including eliminating Hamas and returning all the hostages," he said in a statement.
Hamas studied the proposal for several days before responding but it stood little chance of success.
Hamas had repeatedly made clear that it demanded an end to the war as part of any hostage release, and it refused calls for a complete disarmament.
Hamas also called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, while the Israeli proposal only included a temporary redeployment of the military.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel would continue its bombardment of Gaza.
"The state of Israel shall not surrender to Hamas and won’t end the war without the complete victory and fulfillment of all its objectives, including eliminating Hamas and returning all the hostages," he said in a statement.
Emergency services pull someone from the rubble following a strike.Credit: AP
The renewed assault by Israel has seen more than 500,000 Palestinians displaced in less than a month, according to the UN, while attacks on Gaza, including hospitals, have killed nearly 1,700 Palestinians since March 18, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Meanwhile the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
The UN has warned that lifesaving supplies were nearly all gone due to Israel's blockade.
In March, Israel cut-off essential aid and supplies to the enclave, sparking a humanitarian crisis.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that nearly 90% of water infrastructure, including wells, pumping stations, and sewage plants, had been destroyed or damaged by hostilities, exacerbating disease risks and forcing families to rely on unsafe sources
The renewed assault by Israel has seen more than 500,000 Palestinians displaced in less than a month, according to the UN, while attacks on Gaza, including hospitals, have killed nearly 1,700 Palestinians since March 18, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Meanwhile the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
The UN has warned that lifesaving supplies were nearly all gone due to Israel's blockade.
In March, Israel cut-off essential aid and supplies to the enclave, sparking a humanitarian crisis.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that nearly 90% of water infrastructure, including wells, pumping stations, and sewage plants, had been destroyed or damaged by hostilities, exacerbating disease risks and forcing families to rely on unsafe sources
.
The UN has warned the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating.Credit: AP
"Stress levels, particularly among children, are surging as violence and deprivation persist," Dujarric said, emphasising that Israel bears legal responsibility, under international law, to ensure access to food, medical care, and public health services.
But Israel has argued that the humanitarian blockade has pressured Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, "The pressure on Hamas to carry out the deal is heavy and the tension between it and the local population is increasing."
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's health ministry, following the militant group’s attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
"Stress levels, particularly among children, are surging as violence and deprivation persist," Dujarric said, emphasising that Israel bears legal responsibility, under international law, to ensure access to food, medical care, and public health services.
But Israel has argued that the humanitarian blockade has pressured Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, "The pressure on Hamas to carry out the deal is heavy and the tension between it and the local population is increasing."
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's health ministry, following the militant group’s attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment