Hamas has decided to boycott ceasefire negotiations with Israel as the latter continues killing Palestinians in Rafah.
According to several reports, Hamas withdrew its participation in ceasefire talks after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched one of their deadliest attacks in Rafah on May 26. Hamas' statement also follows Israel's recent announcement that it plans to continue its military campaign in Gaza for another seven months and has taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a crucial border area between Gaza and Egypt.
"The Hamas movement and the Palestinian factions will not accept to be part of this policy by continuing negotiations in light of aggression, killing, siege, starvation and genocide of our people," Hamas stated on May 30 in response to the attack.
Moreover, an anonymous source close to Hamas told the Middle East Eye that the group would not reenter negotiations unless Israel reopened Rafah under its prior administration.
"They [Israel] must first stop the massacres, leave the Rafah crossing, and stop the aggression—then we can talk. Until that happens, there will be no discussions," the source said. "Hamas does not have to sit down for negotiations while the Israelis continue killing."
But Hamas also made it clear that it is ready to agree to a hostage exchange deal once Israel ends its offensive on the enclave.
"Today, we informed the mediators of our clear position that if the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, we are ready to reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal," Hamas said.
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U.S. keeps on putting pressure on Hamas about ceasefire talks instead of doing it to Israel
Other sources close to Hamas have also confirmed that the group is reaching out to the United States to put pressure on Israel to get Tel Aviv to agree to a deal that would facilitate a hostage exchange and establish a long-lasting, if not permanent, ceasefire. But President Joe Biden is not willing to do this.
"Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," the president said in a White House address on June 2, insinuating that Hamas is at fault for the lack of a ceasefire. "Hamas needs to take the deal."
During the event, Biden even declared that Israel's offensive in Gaza had significantly weakened Hamas, rendering it incapable of launching another large-scale terror attack on Israel. He emphasized the necessity of moving toward a lasting peace by negotiating a cease-fire deal. (Related: Hamas accepts U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal – Israel immediately REJECTS IT.)
"It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin," Biden stated.
Biden also argued about the potential resistance from within Israel's leadership: "I know there are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some are even in the government coalition," he said. "Well, I've urged the nation of Israel to stand behind this deal despite whatever pressure comes."
The president's speech implies that Hamas makes it hard to close a ceasefire deal with Israel, even though the militant group made itself clear that it is ready to "deal positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal."
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