Hamas stands firm against concessions on the truce agreement in Gaza.
As global powers push for a truce agreement in Gaza discussions, the area remains volatile. A fresh compromise is presented to Hamas in Doha, but the organization turns down this offer and rigidly sticks to its ultimate demands.
Talks for a truce in the Gaza Strip are set to carry on in Cairo's Egyptian capital following the coming week. A new compromise proposal was put forward to Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, according to the White House in Washington. This proposal was instantly dismissed by Hamas circles due to it carrying "new conditions" from the Israeli side.
"This proposal builds on the shared grounds where an agreement was reached last week and fills in the remaining gaps in a manner that allows for a swift execution of the agreement," the White House statement indicated, which was also authorized by the other two mediators, Qatar and Egypt.
During his visit to the Lebanese capital Beirut, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty expressed that a truce in the Gaza Strip is "the crux to initiating a solution in the region and the beginning of diminishing." He expressed hope for "noble intentions and the political will to achieve this urgent agreement" in the Gaza Strip. Cairo will "spare no effort" to shield Lebanon from the "unpredictable ordeal of an escalation."
Hamas calls for "full withdrawal" from Gaza
The new proposal reportedly includes Israeli soldiers continuing to station themselves within the Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt. A nameless Hamas representative shared this information with the news agency AFP: "We'll accept nothing less than a complete truce, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, and the return of the displaced, along with an agreement on the exchange of prisoners for hostages from Israeli prisons."
Discussions for a truce in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages detained there rekindled on Thursday in the Qatari capital Doha. The White House statement described these talks as "substantial" and took place in a "favorable atmosphere."
The Middle East conflict has recently intensified considerably. Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia have been intimidating Israel since the assassinations of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut at the end of July. Hamas and Iran blame Israel for both attacks. In anticipation of an escalation, the USA, Israel's primary ally, has augmented its military presence in the area. U.S. President Joe Biden previously expressed hope that an accord on a truce in the Gaza Strip could also deter Iran from attacking Israel and thus hinder any further escalation of the conflict in the region.
The refusal of Hamas to accept the compromise proposal in Doha has led to continued tension in the Gaza Strip. Despite calls for a truce, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains unresolved, with Hamas insisting on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the return of displaced Palestinians.
