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Hamdan: Hamas does not care about verbal promises from Mossad chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
5 Sep 2024 00:24
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In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan brings clarity to a possible Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor.

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Member of Hamas' Political Bureau, Osama Hamdan speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Doha, Qatar, on August 13, 2024. (AP)

Some of the Israeli captives held by the Resistance in the Gaza Strip “were killed by Israeli shelling, while others were killed by direct fire from Israeli forces,” confirmed Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, who held Netanyahu responsible for their death.

Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Hamdan asserted that the Palestinian Resistance had agreed to mediator proposals multiple times, but the Israeli occupation consistently rejected them and demanded changes.

Moreover, Hamas does not care about the remarks of the Israeli Mossad chief regarding withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor unless those remarks were "put in writing" and backed up by a "clear map", the Hamas official told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday.

Speaking to Al Mayadeen in a live televised interview, Hamdan brought clarity to ongoing discussions around a prisoner exchange and ceasefire deal between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli regime.

Contradicting statements and reports from Israeli officials and media outlets alike have convoluted the Israeli position on withdrawal from the Palestinian-Egyptian border in the Gaza Strip. It is worth noting that the area extending a few hundred meters into the Palestinian side of the border is known as the Philadelphi Corridor, which Israeli occupation forces currently occupy.

In the interview, Hamdan reiterated the Palestinian Resitance's demands for a "clear text" that ensures the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the entirety of the Gaza Strip.

The high-ranking Hamas official said that Hamas reminded mediators in Cairo that all matters relating to the Rafah border crossing, which is located in the Philadelphi Corridor, are Palestinian matters.

He also underlined that the Palestinian Resistance has agreed multiple times to proposals made by mediators, throughout the course of negotiations, and that it was the Israeli regime that rejected these offers and demanded amendments to them.

Hamdan's remarks were confirmed by an extensive Israeli media report which detailed Netanyahu's obstructive tactics during talks.

"The Philadelphi Corridor is a shared Palestinian-Egyptian border," and Israeli presence there means the continuation of the occupation, which Hamdan says that Hamas "does not accept."

US unable or unwilling to restrain Israeli behavior

Hamdan further disclosed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pinning his hopes on the potential victory of US presidential candidate Donald Trump in the upcoming elections, believing it will smooth the path for "Israel's" strategic ambitions in the region.

Criticizing recent statements from the White House, Hamdan exposed the claim by National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby about a partial Israeli withdrawal to the east of the Philadelphi Corridor as "nothing more than a ruse." He highlighted Netanyahu's blunt refusal to consider any withdrawal, suggesting that the unfolding situation reveals the US either unable or unwilling to rein in Israeli behavior.

Hamdan also remarked that prior to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, the Israeli occupation had been plotting to eradicate the Palestinian cause, impose full Judaization on occupied al-Quds, and achieve comprehensive normalization with Arab nations.

Elsewhere in occupied Palestine, the senior official said that the West Bank's Resistance will experience significant qualitative growth, driven by Gaza's unwavering resilience. He asserted that every attempt to fragment the Palestinian people collapses when they unite against the occupation, which thrives on division.