By Luis De Jesus
Aug 11, 2024, 6:33 PM EDT
Hamas announced its decision not to attend the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, aimed at negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel. This meeting was to be held in Cairo or Doha.
In its statement, the terrorist organization urged the implementation of previous agreements instead of continuing with new rounds of negotiations, Efe reports.
Hamas has called on mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States to force Israel to comply with the terms agreed to on July 2. The organization said the new Israeli proposals in the negotiations facilitate the offensive in Gaza and buy time for it to continue.
The statement did not provide further details on the previous agreements.
Hamas’ decision to withdraw from the talks follows Saturday’s Israeli bombing of the al-Tabain school in Gaza City, which left at least 93 Palestinians dead.
The organization described this attack as a “massacre.”
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was also reported dead in an attack in Tehran, Efe added. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the incident, which is typical of moves affecting Iran.
Hamas also stressed that it accepted the mediators’ proposal on May 6, 2024, and welcomed the announcement by US President Joe Biden on May 31, 2024, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
However, he accused Israel of responding with rejection and of continuing the massacres against the Palestinian people.
In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster Al Manar, Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan stressed the importance of meeting its demands for a ceasefire. These include an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the entry of humanitarian aid and the start of reconstruction in the region.
The Gaza conflict remains a crucial point in the negotiations, with ending the war a key demand for Hamas. Israel, for its part, seeks to eliminate the militants’ military and political capabilities and to recover the 111 hostages still in the strip.
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• Arab countries condemn Israeli attack on school in Gaza, killing more than 100