JERUSALEM: A senior Hamas official said on Friday (Nov 15) that the group is “ready for a ceasefire” in Gaza, urging United States President-elect Donald Trump to “pressure” Israel as it continued to pound the Palestinian territory.
It comes nearly a week after Qatar, which hosts much of the Palestinian group’s political bureau, announced it was suspending its role as a mediator in the war and urging all parties to show “seriousness”.
“Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire proposal is presented and on the condition that it is respected” by Israel, Doha-based Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.
“We call on the US administration and Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the aggression.”
“Hamas informed the mediators that it is in favour of any proposal submitted to it that would lead to a definitive ceasefire and military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, allowing the return of displaced people, a serious deal for a prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction,” Naim added.
The demands are the same ones Hamas has made in successive rounds of ceasefire negotiations since the start of the war.
On Saturday, Qatar announced it was suspending its role as a mediator in indirect talks towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza war that has ground on for more than a year.
“Qatar would resume those efforts … when the parties show their willingness and seriousness,” Doha’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said in a statement.
Friday’s announcement by Hamas came as Israel continued to strike Gaza, with residents of the central city of Deir el-Balah searching through the rubble of their destroyed homes after overnight strikes.
“I woke up to the bombing at 2.30am and was surprised by the rubble and glass falling on me and my children,” said Mohamed Baraka, one of the residents, adding that the strike “resulted in three martyrs and 15 injuries”.
“Put an end to this war … because there are innocent people who are losing defenseless children who have nothing to do with this,” he said.
