Hamas says it is an illusion that Gaza is closer to a ceasefire

– To say that we have come closer to an agreement is an illusion, says Sami Abu Zuhri in Hamas’s political office to the AFP news agency on Saturday.

– We are not faced with an agreement or real negotiations, it is rather an imposition of American dictates, he continues.

Zuhris was responding to Biden’s statements the day before that “we are closer than we have ever been” to a ceasefire agreement after the latest round of negotiations in Qatar.

Here, mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt tried to bring Israel and Hamas closer to an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu: Cautious optimism

The Israeli delegation in Qatar returned to Israel on Friday evening.

– The team expressed cautious optimism to the Prime Minister regarding the possibility of progress towards an agreement based on the latest US proposal, said a statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday evening.

– It is hoped that the strong pressure on Hamas from the United States and the mediators will remove their opposition to the American proposal, and potentially open a breakthrough in the negotiations, it continues.

Fear of a major war

Optimism has also been expressed after previous rounds of negotiations on Gaza via mediators – without this having led to any ceasefire. But increased fears of a major regional war have led to intense international diplomacy in recent weeks.

Hamas made it clear last weekend that they believe there is no need for further negotiations. Biden’s ceasefire proposal, which was agreed upon in July and which Hamas has accepted, must instead be implemented now, the Palestinian group believes.

In contrast to Hamas, Israel has not accepted the American proposal as it stands, and has constantly come up with proposals for changes. Several of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ministers are threatening to topple the government if he accepts a ceasefire.

Threats from Iran and Hezbollah

According to a statement from Qatar, the United States and Egypt, a new proposal has now been put forward that is in line with Biden’s ceasefire proposal. However, Hamas sources have rejected this, saying they will not accept what they describe as new Israeli terms advanced in Qatar.

Iran has announced that it will retaliate for the July 31 assassination in Tehran of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which Israel is believed to be behind. This week, however, the Iranians made it clear that a cease-fire in Gaza could convince them to refrain from attacking Israel.

Iran’s ally in Lebanon, the powerful Hezbollah militia, has also warned of a counterattack after Israel liquidated the group’s military leader. Fuad Shukr was killed in an attack in Beirut the day before the assassination of Haniyeh.

– Too much is at stake

Britain, France, Germany and Italy on Saturday encouraged all parties to “positive and flexible participation” in the negotiations.

– We emphasize the importance of avoiding any action that could escalate the situation and that would undermine the prospects for peace, say the foreign ministers of the four countries.

– Too much is at stake.

The plan now is for the talks to resume in Cairo next week. At the same time, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken is on his way to Israel.

Great suffering

At the same time, the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, where at least 40,074 people, according to the Ministry of Health, have been killed after more than ten months of war, most of them civilians. Thousands of Palestinians are also missing, over 92,400 wounded, and most of the population of 2.3 million have been driven to flight

The ongoing war was sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 in which at least 1,198 people were killed, most of them civilians. Militant Palestinians took 251 hostages and prisoners of war, of which 111 are still in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli army, 39 of them are no longer alive. Over 100 hostages were released during the only truce of the war so far – which lasted for a week at the end of November.