Hamas delegation to discuss 'full ceasefire package' in upcoming talks
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A Hamas source confirmed to Al Mayadeen that a negotiating delegation will soon head to Cairo to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
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Palestinians watch as Hamas fighters take up a position ahead of handing over four bodies to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, February 20, 2025. (AP)
A source in the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas confirmed to Al Mayadeen on Tuesday evening that the group’s negotiating delegation will soon travel to Cairo for renewed ceasefire and prisoner exchange discussions.
The source indicated that Hamas will engage in talks centered around the "comprehensive package" outlined by senior Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, during his recent speech.
Earlier, al-Hayya, who leads the Palestinian negotiating team, expressed the movement’s readiness to enter immediate negotiations based on a comprehensive framework.
The proposed deal involves the release of all captives held by the Palestinian resistance in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Ceasefire, withdrawal, and reconstruction
Al-Hayya emphasized that the offer is contingent upon a complete cessation of "Israel’s" military campaign in Gaza, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, the commencement of reconstruction efforts, and the lifting of the blockade.
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 13’s military affairs commentator, Alon Ben David, noted that US officials are keen to ensure calm in Gaza ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to the Middle East next month.
"They don’t want Trump here while Gaza is on fire, so they have an interest in reaching some understandings," he stated.
A high-ranking Resistance official previously told Al Mayadeen that Israel had submitted a proposal that falls short of Hamas' core demands. The Israeli offer does not include a permanent ceasefire, nor a full withdrawal from Gaza, and seeks to gradually undermine Hamas’ leverage over the captive issue.
Netanyahu sabotaged January ceasefire
The Hamas leader referenced the January 17 agreement, which he said was the outcome of over a year and a half of difficult negotiations. According to al-Hayya, the agreement included three phases and was initially respected by Palestinian factions, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government "reneged on the deal before the completion of the first phase," resuming what he described as mass killings, destruction, and starvation in Gaza.
He added that Hamas accepted another proposal at the end of Ramadan, despite doubts over Netanyahu’s intentions. "Netanyahu is determined to continue the war to protect his political future," al-Hayya said, noting that the Israeli government rejected a proposal endorsed by international mediators, a proposal that Hamas had already approved.
Al-Hayya criticized what he described as the Israeli occupation's "unrealistic conditions," which he said fail to guarantee either a ceasefire or a withdrawal. He also warned against partial agreements, claiming they serve as political cover for the continuation of war.
"Netanyahu uses partial deals to pursue a policy of genocide and starvation — even at the cost of abandoning his own captives," he said. "We will not participate in enabling such a strategy."
International pressure urged to end Gaza blockade
Al-Hayya concluded by calling on the international community to intervene and press for the immediate lifting of the blockade on Gaza. He said that more than two million Palestinians are facing starvation and deprivation of basic necessities, in violation of international and humanitarian law.
Separately, senior Hamas figure Mahmoud Mardawi stated on Wednesday that the group was still formulating its response to an Israeli ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal. However, he underscored that Hamas’s weapons are non-negotiable.
"The Resistance’s arms are not on the table. They are central to the unified Palestinian position among the factions," Mardawi told AFP.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, the official emphasized that the Palestinian group insists that any resolution must be comprehensive.
The latest Israeli ceasefire proposal fails to meet Hamas' core demands for a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the source indicated.
