Hamas won't accept anything less than 'complete cessation of aggression' on Gaza

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The head of the Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Saturday that the Palestinian resistance will “not accept anything less than a complete cessation of Israeli aggression.”

“Hamas responded all the time in a positive spirit and responsibly with the mediators in order to stop the aggression against our people, to end the unjust siege, and to allow the flow of aid, shelter, and reconstruction,” Haniyeh said in a statement.

“The movement has shown complete flexibility in dealing with these issues, but it is clear so far that the occupation continues to maneuver and procrastinate in issues that concern our people, while its position revolves around the release of hostages,” the official said.

Haniyeh stressed that "the resistance will not accept anything less than a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the unjust siege, the provision of safe and appropriate shelter for the displaced due to the crimes of the occupation, the return of the displaced, especially to the northern Gaza Strip, an end to the barbaric starvation policy, and a commitment to reconstruction."

He considered that all of these requirements are “humanitarian and agreed upon by the UN, human rights institutions, and the International Court of Justice,” adding that “the occupation must comply with them.”

Negotiations between the Palestinian Resistance groups and Israel, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, continue.

Last Tuesday, a negotiation session was held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, but it ended without achieving any breakthrough.

A humanitarian pause previously prevailed between Hamas and Israel for a week from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1, 2023, during which a ceasefire and hostages swap took place. Some very limited humanitarian aid was also brought into Gaza, with Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are about 134 Israeli hostages in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both parties.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli attack has killed at least 28,858, injured more than 68,677 others, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.