Hamas Signals Openness but Sets Demands
Hamas announced on Tuesday that it seeks a deal to end the Gaza war based on former US President Donald Trump’s plan. However, the group maintained a firm list of demands, suggesting that indirect talks with Israel in Egypt may prove difficult and lengthy.
Senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum outlined the group’s position on the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The statement came a day after indirect negotiations began in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Talks Offer Hope but Challenges Remain
The new round of negotiations appears to be the most promising effort yet to end the devastating war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Despite cautious optimism, both sides warned against expecting a swift agreement. Israelis marked the anniversary of their darkest day since the Holocaust, while Gazans clung to hope for relief after two years of destruction and suffering.
Hamas Outlines Core Conditions for Peace
Barhoum said Hamas’s delegation in Egypt was striving to overcome all obstacles to reach an agreement that meets the aspirations of Palestinians in Gaza.
He declared that any deal must guarantee an end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip—conditions Israel has never accepted. In contrast, Israel demands Hamas’s disarmament, which the group firmly rejects.
Hamas insists on a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, the total withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the immediate launch of Gaza’s reconstruction under a Palestinian “national technocratic body.”
Palestinian Factions Vow Continued Resistance
Highlighting the challenges ahead, several Palestinian factions, including Hamas, pledged to continue “resistance by all means.” Their joint statement stressed that “no one has the right to cede the weapons of the Palestinian people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
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