Agreement must end war permanently, says Hamas

Group wants withdrawal of occupation army

Palestinian group Hamas has rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal, saying it had handed to mediators in Egypt and Qatar its response to the proposal it had received last Monday.

After more than six months of war with Israel in Gaza, the negotiations remain deadlocked, with Hamas sticking to its demands that any agreement must end the war.

“We ... reaffirm our adherence to our demands and the national demands of our people; with a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction,” the group said.

Israel wants to secure the return of hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct 7 attack, but says it will not stop fighting until Hamas is destroyed as a military force. It also says it still plans to carry out an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge.

Hamas said on Saturday it was ready to conclude a prisoners-for-hostages swap deal with Israel that would see the release of 133 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel.

There was no official Israeli comment on Hamas’ response.

The Hamas statement came a few days after Israel killed several members of the family of the group’s chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, raising fears among the families of hostages that it would derail efforts to secure their release from Gaza.

Speaking to Reuters in Qatar a day after the killing, Haniyeh said his group still sought a deal but accused Israel of procrastinating and evading a response to the group’s demands.

Global calls for a ceasefire have been growing as the war has entered its seventh month, but there has been little sign of progress in the talks.

Hamas is demanding an end to the Israeli offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and permission for Gaza’s displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.

In the occupied West Bank, the murder of an Israeli teenager on Friday sparked a wave of violence.

After Benjamin Achimeir, a 14-year-old Israeli, was reported missing near Ramallah on Friday, hundreds of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli forces raided nearby Palestinian villages, torching cars and homes, and left at least two villagers dead and dozens wounded.

The attacks escalated in multiple villages on Saturday after Achimeir’s body was found near the Malachei Hashalom settlement.

The mayor of nearby Palestinian village AlMughayyir, Amin Abu Alyah, said “dozens of settlers” had attacked it and burnt “everything they found”.

“They burnt a house, a bulldozer and a number of vehicles,” he said.

Journalists reported Jewish settlers, who were part of a search party for Achimeir, firing shots and torching homes and cars while residents responded by throwing stones.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa condemned the attacks and urged the authorities to help the people of AlMughayyir.