Resistance to Reconsider Negotiations Strategy Following Rafah Attack – Hamas
Hamas said that its leadership will hold consultations with the leaders of all other Palestinian Resistance groups in order to reconsider their negotiations strategy.
The statement was a response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to invade the city of Rafah despite the fact that Hamas had accepted a proposed ceasefire to end the Israeli war on Gaza.
The movement confirmed in a statement that Israel’s rejection of the mediators’ proposal brought the situation in Gaza back to square one.
“Netanyahu and his extremist government are using the negotiations as a cover to attack Rafah, occupy the crossing, continue the war of extermination against our people, and bear full responsibility for obstructing an agreement,” Hamas said.
Last Monday, Hamas announced its approval of the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, saying that the proposal achieves the goal of ending the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, withdrawing the occupation army from the Gaza Strip and completing a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal.
Israel responded by attacking the city of Rafah, and taking over the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Below are excerpts from the Hamas’ statement as communicated via the Resistance News Network on their Telegram channel. The translation was not edited or altered in any way.
The Hamas Statement
“The Hamas movement dealt responsibly and positively with the efforts of the mediators, and showed the necessary flexibility to facilitate reaching an agreement that achieves a permanent ceasefire, the comprehensive withdrawal of enemy forces from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced in all freedom, and reaching a prisoner exchange through a serious and real deal to end the suffering of all our brave prisoners from the occupation prisons in exchange for the release of the Israeli prisoners.
“For this reason, the movement agreed to the mediators’ latest proposal.
“Israel’s rejection of the mediators’ proposal, through the amendments it made to it, brought things back to square one.
“Also, the enemy army’s attack on Rafah and the occupation of the crossing immediately after Hamas announced its approval of the mediators’ proposal confirms that the occupation is evading reaching an agreement.
“Netanyahu and his extremist government are using the negotiations as a cover to attack Rafah and occupy the crossing and continue the genocide war against our people. They bear full responsibility for obstructing the reaching of an agreement.
“In light of Netanyahu’s behavior, his rejection of the mediators’ proposal, the attack on Rafah, and the occupation of the crossing, the movement’s leadership will hold consultations with the brother leaders of the Palestinian resistance factions in order to reconsider our negotiating strategy.
“As we salute the heroes of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Saraya Al-Quds, and all the Palestinian resistance factions who write the most wonderful epics of heroism in confronting the enemy army and its incursions into all the axes of our steadfast Strip, and their heroic operations that left a number of enemy soldiers dead and wounded in Rafah today, we affirm that the attack on Rafah will not be a walk in the park, and Gaza will always be a cemetery for the occupying invaders.
(The Palestine Chronicle)