Hamas wants “complete ceasefire” with Israel in Gaza – DW – 01/29/2024

The Hamas group, considered a terrorist by the European Union, said this Monday (01/29/2024) that it wants to negotiate a “complete ceasefire” with Israel in the Gaza Strip, which includes the withdrawal of that country’s troops from the enclave . Palestinians, before returning more than 100 hostages after the brutal October 7 attack.

The secretary of state said talks held in Paris over the weekend with the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Israel produced “real hope” for a final agreement to stop the fighting and free the hostages. American, Antony Blinken. “Very productive and important work was done. And there is real hope for the future,” the official said.

Blinken said, “Hamas has to make its own decisions. What I can say is that there is a strong coordination between the countries involved, that this is a good, strong proposal.” A similar view is held by Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abderrahman Al Thani, who assured that “today we are in a much better situation than weeks ago.”

The goal is “final victory”

The Prime Minister reported that “good progress” had been made in Paris and put forward a proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages which Qatar would transfer to Hamas in the hope that it would respond in a “positive and constructive” manner. Al Thani explained that their role is to achieve a “negotiated solution” that allows “the safe return of hostages to their homes” and “stops the bombardment and deaths of civilians” in the Gaza Strip.

However, Taher al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, told AFP that the group’s position had not changed. “We are talking first and foremost about a complete and total ceasefire, not a temporary ceasefire,” he said. “As soon as the fighting stops, we will talk about the remaining details,” including the release of about 100 hostages. Can,” he said, of those who remain in Gaza.

Despite the good feelings of the United States and Qatar, Israel also took a neutral stance. That country’s government stated that “the reports are inaccurate and involve conditions that are not acceptable to Israel,” and reiterated that its ultimate goal is “complete victory.” “The road to agreement is (still) long,” he assured. An Israeli official told the Spanish agency EFE, who stressed that “every possible effort has been and will continue to be made to free the hostages.”

DZC (EFE, AFP)