Hamas, Islamic Jihad: Ceasefire must End ‘Israel’s’ Aggression Completely

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinians resistance groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have offered their official response to a ceasefire proposal to mediators Qatar and Egypt.

In a joint statement the Palestinian groups said on Tuesday that their priorities are a complete end to the ongoing “Israeli” aggression and the interests of the Palestinians in Gaza.

“A joint delegation from Hamas and Islamic Jihad delivered the response of the resistance factions this evening to the Qatari brothers during a meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister, and the response was also sent to the Egyptian brothers,” the statement said.

According to the Palestinians sources, the resistance groups have offered some amendments to the “Israeli” proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from Gaza.

“The response prioritizes the interests of our Palestinian people and the necessity of completely halting the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip,” the joint Hamas and Islamic Jihad statement noted.

“The Palestinian delegation expressed its readiness to engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war against our people, based on a sense of national responsibility,” it added.

 “The two sides confirm that their joint mediation efforts with the United States of America will continue until an agreement is reached, as the mediators will study the response and coordinate with the parties concerned regarding the next steps,” read the Qatari and Egyptian statement on Facebook.

Hamas said in an earlier statement on Tuesday that it endorses the resolution and is ready to cooperate with mediators to enter more indirect negotiations over the implementation of the resolution.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday that the US has received Hamas’s formal reply to the ceasefire proposal sent to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Kirby told reporters that it was helpful to have a response from Hamas and that US officials are currently evaluating it.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his commitment to a ceasefire.