Hamas official Osama Hamdan has stated that there is no need for new negotiations with Israel, amid Israeli media reports suggesting a possible renewal of Gaza truce talks. In a phone interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Saturday, Hamdan emphasized that the immediate requirement is for Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and for all aggression to cease.
“We do not need new negotiations,”
he declared, adding that Hamas has already accepted a ceasefire proposal that Israel has rejected.
“There is no guarantee that it [Israel] will accept new proposals to go to negotiations… If there are no serious guarantees, this means giving Israel more time to continue the aggression,”
he stated.
Earlier this month, Hamas approved a ceasefire proposal during the seven-month Gaza war, which was put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt. However, Israel deemed the proposal insufficient to meet its demands.
Israeli media reported that officials involved in the negotiations indicated the Israeli government plans to renew discussions for a Gaza captive release deal in the coming days, following a meeting with mediators in Paris. Reports suggest that Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea has agreed to a new framework for the stalled negotiations, which would include CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The new offer, drafted by the Israeli negotiating team, aims to resolve previous points of disagreement. However, defense ministry officials believe that even if Israel agrees to a temporary ceasefire, it intends to return to military action when deemed necessary.
Hamas has made it clear that it will not accept a temporary ceasefire, insisting that an end to the fighting must be permanent. Israel maintains that the war will not conclude until its objectives are met, which include the complete defeat of Hamas. Nonetheless, Israel faces increasing international pressure to halt its military operations and is becoming increasingly isolated. Recent developments include an International Court of Justice (ICJ) order for Israel to cease its offensive in Rafah and the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In related news, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz about renewed efforts to achieve a ceasefire and to reopen the Rafah border crossing in Gaza. Reports indicate that Egypt is also actively working to reactivate ceasefire negotiations and facilitate the exchange of prisoners and detainees.
However, a Hamas official has denied Israeli media reports claiming that Gaza ceasefire talks would resume in Cairo on Tuesday, stating,
“There is no date,”
when questioned about the negotiations.
Talks aimed at securing a hostage release and truce agreement for Gaza have stalled since Israel launched a military operation in Rafah. The humanitarian toll continues to rise, with at least 35,903 people reported killed and 80,420 wounded in the conflict since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens still held captive.
On Saturday, thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, demanding urgent government action to retrieve captives held in Gaza, following the recovery of several bodies. Another protest nearby called for the resignation of Netanyahu and an early election, reflecting the growing discontent within Israel regarding the ongoing conflict.