Hamas committed to ceasefire, Haniyeh says

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Nov 2023 18:16

The political bureau chief of Hamas says the resistance movement is committed to the ceasefire agreement that went into effect this morning.

Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, as the temporary ceasefire between the Israelis and the Palestinian Resistance took effect (AP Photo/Mohammed Hajjar)

Hamas is committed to the four-day ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip so long as the Israeli occupation adheres to all of its stipulations, the movement's politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Friday.

A four-day humanitarian pause went into effect in Gaza at 7 am (GMT+2) Friday after a deal was reached between the Israeli occupation and Hamas on the matter.

"We reaffirm our commitment to implementing the agreement and ensuring its success as long as the enemy complies with this agreement," Haniyeh said in a video message published by Hamas on Telegram.

The negotiations took course with Hamas being keen to have the Israeli occupation stop committing massacres in Gaza and ensure that "Israel" does not impose its will on the Resistance in Gaza and dodge a prisoner exchange deal.

"Our great people have been steadfast through this epic, and our Resistance fighters dealt heavy blows to the enemy as we pridefully broke its will and foiled its plans," Haniyeh added.

The Palestinian people "are waging a battle of national liberation through a united front in Gaza, al-Quds, and everywhere they are present," Haniyeh added.

Furthermore, he hailed "our people in Gaza who, through their steadfastness and resistance, were a central element in forcing the enemy and its allies to reverse course."

He also hailed "the heroic epics in the West Bank by confronting the settlers," renewing his rejection of "displacement, especially to Jordan and Egypt, which was also set in strong by the Egyptian President."

Haniyeh also extends greetings to the resistance in Lebanon, which he hailed for having sacrificed dozens of martyrs in the face of occupation. He also hailed the Yemeni people and the Iraqi resistance.

He declared Hamas' commitment to implementing the agreement and ensuring its success would remain so long as the Israeli occupation adheres to its stipulations and stressed the need for international efforts to realize the aspirations of the Palestinian people.

At the conclusion of his address, Haniyeh underlined that Hamas would not evacuate its positions during, before, or after the battle, stressing its adherence to the unity of the people with their land and their need for self-determination. On that note, he hailed all the Arab and Islamic calls rejecting any foreign interference in Gaza.

The temporary truce between the Israeli occupation and the Resistance in Gaza came into effect at 7 am, following an Israeli aggression that has persisted for 47 days, leaving thousands injured and killed.

The truce will last for four days subject to potential extension. The truce entails the liberation of a number of imprisoned Palestinian women and minors (under the age of 19) from Israeli occupation jails and the admission of relief aid and fuel in the besieged Gaza Strip.

During the 47 days leading up to the ceasefire, 7000 civilians were recorded to be missing, including more than 4700 children and women.

The agreement reached through Qatari and Egyptian mediation efforts was scheduled to go into effect on Thursday. However, Israeli media outlets reported on Wednesday evening that the deal was not finalized and is likely to start on Friday instead.

The limited truce remains under heavy criticism by international organizations, human rights activists, and several countries and officials calling for an immediate ceasefire rather than an insufficient truce.

These calls have been rejected by both the United States and the Israeli occupation entity, stressing that the aggression must continue until all "Tel Aviv's" objectives are fulfilled, something which military experts and diplomats expressed extreme doubts.

The terms include a halt to all hostilities and the release of 50 Israeli captives in exchange for the freedom of 150 Palestinian prisoners.