Hamas Express Commitment To Hostages And Withdrawal Of Israeli Troops From Gaza
JAKARTA - The Palestinian independence struggle movement, Hamas on Saturday (14/12) expressed its commitment to withdrawing Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the deal to exchange hostages and detainees.
"We are open to every sincere and serious initiative aimed at ending aggression against the people (Palestinian)," Hamas said in a statement.
"We are committed to returning refugees, withdrawing Israeli (resident), helping the people, restoring what Israel has destroyed, and reaching a prisoner swap agreement," Hamas said in a statement marking its 37th anniversary.
One of the Hamas leaders in Lebanon, Bassam Khalaf, previously told RIA Novosti that the relevant parties were eager to finalize an agreement on a ceasefire and release of prisoners ahead of the inauguration of the President-elect of the United States (US), Donald Trump.
The Wall Street Journal newspaper on Thursday reported, citing Arab mediators, that Hamas for the first time since the outbreak of the Gaza war said it might agree with a ceasefire agreement with Israel that allowed Israeli forces to remain temporarily in the region after fighting stopped.
The Egyptian government said Tuesday (10/12) that the Israeli delegation had come to Cairo to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and humanitarian access to the Palestinian territories.
The Hamas delegation met Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad in Cairo on Monday (9/12) to discuss ceasefire efforts and the formation of a public support committee in Gaza.