Hamas comments: / Israel / Witkoff negotiations

Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha to Al-Alam

The latest Witkoff proposal constituted a deviation from the context of the understandings that had been reached. There is a necessity of providing real guarantees by the mediators and the Americans on fundamental issues such as a ceasefire and withdrawal. Negotiations are continuing and Hamas’s positivity and flexibility in them is high.

The latest Witkoff proposal a deviation from the context of the understandings that had been reached days ago between the mediators and the American administration through indirect negotiations, which had formed a suitable basis for the success of this proposal.

But what surprised us was the proposal being sent back again, and this proposal taking into account zionist conditions. Therefore, despite that, we said it was necessary to study this proposal with our brothers in the Palestinian resistance factions and put our observations on it. So, after a series of consultations with the resistance factions, it became clear to us that there was a significant disregard for conditions and a deviation from the context of the understandings, especially by not committing, by the absence of any guarantees, and by not even addressing the issue of a ceasefire or withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, replacing them with terms like “field deployment” and so on.

Consequently, we cannot today give the occupation what it wants. All the occupation wants is to continue its aggression so that this extremist fascist government can continue its work.

We agreed in principle to this proposal, but we put our observations and some inquiries through the discussions that took place among us as resistance factions, and this proposal was presented to the mediators, who in turn presented it to the mediator Witkoff.

Witkoff’s recent statement is unfair and undocumented because a number of American officials, whether in the American press or elsewhere, said that the Hamas movement showed responsiveness in addition to putting some observations and inquiries… It is our right to inquire and to put these observations that concern the issues of our Palestinian people.

Despite the submission of the proposal and the placement of observations on it, negotiations are still ongoing. Therefore, we show high positivity and flexibility in all issues that would serve the political, social, and national causes of our people.

Even Witkoff’s latest paper did not address the humanitarian protocol despite the starvation policy and the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and what we witnessed today was a real massacre in the distribution of some aid carried out by one of the American companies… A massacre in every sense of the word, under American cover.

Among the fundamental issues are a comprehensive ceasefire and a complete withdrawal, as agreed upon, and adherence to the humanitarian protocol and the entry of relief convoys.

Therefore, today there can only be real guarantees through which we ensure a dignified life for our Palestinian people, and address all issues at the national political, social, and even humanitarian levels.

[Regarding the occupation’s claims of assassinating Commander Mohammed Sinwar] We say, despite the zionist talk about it, as long as nothing has been issued by the resistance… Therefore, the resistance is concerned with mourning its leaders… Nothing has been issued even at this moment, so we cannot confirm that there has been a martyrdom of any leader unless the resistance leadership mourns him.

[Returning to Witkoff’s proposal] Our brother mediators in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the sisterly State of Qatar are truly making great efforts to bridge the views, but our position is very clear: any agreement must first include guarantees, a ceasefire, and a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, leading to a prisoner exchange.

The guarantees must first come from those sponsoring these negotiations, including the mediators. The American administration must exert more pressure and seriousness on the zionist side, not side with the zionist conditions in any proposal or ideas it puts on the table. Therefore, if the American administration is truly serious about ending this aggression, it must exert its pressure on the extremist right-wing approach, and thus the American administration can impose these conditions, let me say if it wants to end the aggression against the Palestinian people and specifically against the Gaza Strip.

We hope in the coming days that an international stance will crystallize to stop the war of extermination, because today the international stance and the stance of some European countries have begun to change and shift, calling every day for the necessity of ending this aggression.

Contacts, efforts, and endeavors are still being made at this moment. We hope to succeed, and we now consider the ball to be in the zionist court.