Ceasefire in Gaza prerequisite for any subsequent step: Hamas official
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Senior Hamas official Taher El-Nounou says a set of proposals was presented to the movement, affirming that no agreement has been reached so far.
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The media advisor to the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Taher El-Nounou.
The media advisor to the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Taher El-Nounou, reiterated that a ceasefire in Gaza is the fundamental prerequisite for any subsequent step.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, El-Nounou indicated that a set of proposals was presented to Hamas, affirming that no agreement has been reached so far.
The Hamas official said that a ceasefire would be followed by a prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, pointing out that the main goal is to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, while other details can be discussed afterward.
He mentioned that what is needed is a complete ceasefire and not a temporary truce, adding that the Israeli occupation is the side hindering an agreement, for reasons related to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
El-Nounou considered it early to talk about the number of prisoners to be released, stressing that Hamas is working on releasing Palestinian prisoners and ensuring they do not return to detainment.
He said that there are "political guarantees" from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, noting that Hamas is in constant communication with Cairo, coordinating with it on the issue of the Philadelphia Axis, and is relieved with Egypt's stance on this matter.
The Palestinian official warned that any Israeli attempt to control the Philadelphia Axis along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip means that tens of thousands of displaced Gazans would be martyred.
In early January, Netanyahu said that "Israel must have full control over the [Philadelphia] Axis to ensure disarmament in the region."
El-Nounou's statement comes amid reports about an agreement reached between the Israeli occupation, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
NBC News reported that the agreement includes the release of the remaining American and Israeli captives in Gaza on several stages, starting with women and children, accompanied by a gradual cessation of fighting and the delivery of aid to the Strip, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons.
According to the news website, a draft of the agreement is being presented to Hamas, while the Palestinian Resistance movement insists on an immediate and permanent ceasefire before discussing any prisoner exchange.
In the same context, El-Nounou said that the United States must realize that "Israel" has lost the war, while the Palestinian Resistance has the ability to continue fighting more than the Israeli occupation expects, noting that the Resistance has surprises awaiting the occupation forces.
The Hamas official mentioned that the number of casualties and injuries among the Israeli occupation forces in the al-Maghazi ambush is much larger than what the Israeli military announced." Last week, a total of 21 Israeli occupation soldiers and officers were killed in an operation carried out by Palestinian Resistance fighters in al-Maghazi, marking the highest death toll in a single operation since the start of the war in Gaza.
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