By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas desires a complete deal to finish the warfare in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group mentioned, rejecting Israel’s provide of an interim truce.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s Gaza chief who leads its negotiating crew, mentioned the group would not comply with interim offers, adopting a place that Israel is unlikely to simply accept and doubtlessly additional delaying an finish to the devastating assaults that restarted in current weeks.
As a substitute, Hayya mentioned Hamas was prepared to right away interact in “complete bundle negotiations” to launch all remaining hostages in its custody in return for an finish to the Gaza warfare, the discharge of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
“Netanyahu and his authorities use partial agreements as a canopy for his or her political agenda, which is predicated on persevering with the warfare of extermination and hunger, even when the value is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages),” mentioned Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We won’t be a part of passing this coverage.”
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire settlement that halted combating in Gaza earlier than it broke down final month, however there was little signal of progress with each Israel and Hamas blaming one another.
“Hamas’s feedback show they don’t seem to be focused on peace however perpetual violence. The phrases made by the Trump Administration haven’t modified: launch the hostages or face hell,” mentioned Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
The newest spherical of talks on Monday in Cairo to revive the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no obvious breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources mentioned.
Israel had proposed a 45-day truce in Gaza to permit hostage releases and doubtlessly start oblique talks to finish the warfare. Hamas has already rejected one in every of its situations – that it lay down its arms. In his speech, Hayya accused Israel of providing a counterproposal with “not possible situations.”
Hamas launched 38 hostages below a ceasefire that started on January 19. In March, Israel’s navy resumed its floor and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to increase the truce with out ending the warfare.
Israeli officers say that the offensive will proceed till the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it is going to free hostages solely as a part of a deal to finish the warfare and has rejected calls for to put down its arms.
ISRAELI STRIKES
On Tuesday, the armed wing of Hamas armed mentioned the group had misplaced contact with militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander after the Israeli military attacked their hideout. Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier within the Israeli military.
The armed wing later launched a video warning hostages’ households that their “kids will return in black coffins with their our bodies torn aside from shrapnel out of your military.”
Israeli navy strikes killed at the least 32 Palestinians, together with ladies and youngsters, throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday, native well being authorities mentioned.
A type of strikes killed six individuals and wounded a number of others at a UN-run faculty in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli navy mentioned the strike focused a Hamas command middle.
The warfare was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, by which 1,200 individuals had been killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, in keeping with Israeli tallies.
Since then, greater than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed within the Israeli offensive, in keeping with native well being authorities.
(Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi. Extra reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly and Ahmed Tolba, Gram Slattery in Washington; enhancing by Don Durfee and Deepa Babington)
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