On Monday, June 10, 2024, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, discussed efforts to stop the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2024, with the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, Ziyad al-Nakhalah.
In a statement by Hamas, it was stated: “Haniyeh received a delegation from the leadership of the Islamic Jihad Movement (headed by) Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary-General of the movement, and his deputy, Mohammed al-Hindi, during their visit to Doha,” without details about the duration of the visit, indicating that the two parties discussed “developments in the indirect negotiations and efforts to stop the war.”
The two parties reiterated the necessity for any agreement (with Israel) to include “a permanent cessation of aggression, a comprehensive withdrawal from the sector, reconstruction, ending the siege, and a serious exchange deal.”
The statement also pointed out the confirmation of both parties on “the unity of Palestinian resistance in the field and politics, to achieve the goals of the Palestinian people at the tactical and strategic levels.”
On Saturday, Haniyeh stated in a statement that his movement “will not agree to any agreement that does not ensure security for the people first and foremost.”
On Thursday, an “informed” Egyptian source revealed that Hamas leaders informed Cairo that the movement is seriously and positively considering the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and that it will respond to it in the coming days, according to what was reported by the “Cairo News” channel.
The source also mentioned “an Egyptian invitation to Hamas leaders to visit Cairo and discuss all the details related to the current situation,” without disclosing its timing as Hamas did not announce the visit and its circumstances.
Similarly, the Islamic Jihad Movement stated on Wednesday that its Secretary-General al-Nakhalah held talks with Egyptian officials about the efforts of mediators to stop the “aggression” on Gaza during a visit to Cairo that began on Tuesday (its duration was not specified).
Following the statement by US President Joe Biden about an Israeli proposal in three stages that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of detainees, and the reconstruction of the sector, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States called on both Hamas and Israel to conclude an agreement that embodies the principles announced by Biden.
Israel has not yet announced a final position on what Biden announced, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the offer as “inaccurate,” saying that he did not agree to end the war in the second stage of the proposal, but only “discuss” that step according to Tel Aviv’s conditions.
Palestinian factions accuse the United States and Israel of not wanting to end the war and seeking, through negotiations, to gain time, hoping that Netanyahu will achieve his goals through fighting.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza, which has left more than 121,000 Palestinians dead or injured, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amidst massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and elderly people.
Israel continues its war despite a decision by the United Nations Security Council to stop it immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of the southern city of Rafah in the sector and take measures to prevent acts of “genocide” and improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
