A senior official of Hamas, Osama Hamdan, announced on Saturday that there has been no progress in ceasefire talks with Israel over the ongoing Gaza war. However, Hamdan stated that Hamas remains open to “deal positively” with any ceasefire proposal that ends the conflict.
During a news conference in Beirut, Hamdan highlighted that Arab mediators, supported by the United States, have so far failed to broker a ceasefire, with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock. Hamas insists that any agreement must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Hamdan accused the United States of pressuring Hamas to accept Israel’s terms. He reiterated Hamas’s readiness to agree to a proposal that ensures a permanent ceasefire, complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and a significant swap deal involving hostages held in Gaza and Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
The conflict escalated when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli reports. In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, with most of the casualties reported as civilians. Israel, however, claims that at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters.
Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad have engaged in fierce fighting, firing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs against Israeli forces.
As the intense phase of the war approaches its end, Israeli leaders indicate that the next stage will involve smaller-scale operations to prevent Hamas from reassembling. Meanwhile, Israeli forces in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, have killed several Palestinians and forced families to flee northwards, aiming to eradicate the last armed battalions of Hamas.
With inputs from Reuters
