Haniyeh's 'ceasefire' statement: 'We are open to all initiatives that meet our demands'
Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh reiterated that they are open to all initiatives that would stop the war in Gaza and meet the demands of the resistance.
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Haniyeh attended a symposium held in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, by the Strategic Thought Forum, where scenarios regarding Israel's war in Gaza were discussed.
Recalling that Hamas has demands such as "a complete cessation of attacks, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, the reconstruction of Gaza, a prisoner exchange, and the provision of aid to the people of Gaza," Haniyeh said, "These are the demands of our people, the resistance forces, and the free people of the nation. Hamas is conducting negotiations based on these demands. We are open to all initiatives in ceasefire negotiations that will meet these demands of the resistance forces."
Haniyeh stated that they approved the ceasefire proposal presented by Qatari and Egyptian parties on May 6, but that Israel requested changes to the ceasefire proposal that would affect the essence of the resistance forces' demands.
Stating that Israel's negotiation strategy is based on pressuring Hamas at the international and regional levels to accept Israel's view, Haniyeh said that Israel has set a political trap that imposes certain conditions, but he did not provide details.
Stating that the Al-Aqsa Flood is a harbinger that new equations are being drawn for the Palestinian cause and the region in general, Haniyeh noted the following:
"Three strategic results have been achieved with the Al-Aqsa Flood. First, it has brought the Palestinian cause, which was pushed off the agenda by some international and regional countries and portrayed as Israel's internal issue, back onto the international and regional agenda. Second, it has been understood that Israel's defeat is not a dream but a reality and something that could happen soon. Third, while cracks have emerged within Israel, the nation has united over the Palestinian cause."
Haniyeh added that the war on Gaza is a war that includes not only Israel but also the US and its Western colonial allies.
THE INDIRECT NEGOTIATION PROCESS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS
The Hamas Movement conveyed to Qatari and Egyptian officials on May 6 that they had approved the proposal they presented for a ceasefire, but Israel rejected this proposal on the grounds that it "did not meet its conditions."
US President Joe Biden announced on May 31 that Israel had presented a new three-phase ceasefire proposal.
Although Biden said this proposal belonged to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stated that they would continue the war until the "determined goals" were achieved.
In his speech at the Parliament Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on June 3, Netanyahu claimed that there were "gaps" between what Israel proposed and the proposal presented by Biden.